Agents of Beacon
by KenYagami
Summary: When Grimm suddenly start appearing inside city limits and people with seemingly supernatural abilities start causing trouble, Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang are brought as the newest generation of Agents in the secret organization known as Beacon. Real World Modern AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Welcome to the first chapter of my new fanfiction, _Agents of Beacon._**

 **This story takes place in a Modern AU, to explain, in this version of Remnant the Grimm are still around, but Aura, Semblances, and Huntsmen are not. Well, they are, but that's for the story to tell you.**

 **If this specific type of Modern AU (that being with all the fantasy elements being hidden to the general public and all the tech is equivalent to ours) isn't a thing then I'd like to call it the " _Agents AU_ " but I'm not sure if I can get away with that. **

**I hope you enjoy**

 **\- Ken**

* * *

 **Agents of Beacon**

 **Chapter 1**

Roman Torchwick sat alone in the office of one his many warehouses through the city of Vale. In front of him was mountains of paperwork all of which containing information from the most expendable grunts to the locations of his safehouses, to the route he'd take to said safehouses. The master criminal had to sift through each and every one, checking for any and all mistakes, approving or denying any transfer requests, and making sure everyone was paid. Running a crime syndicate was just as complicated as running any other business. Torchwick absolutely despised this part of the job. He thrived off the thrill of his crimes, the sadistic pleasure of abusing the weak, but at the end of each day, he had to force himself into his office to becoming a sodding paper pusher. Normally he'd bitch and moan to his direct subordinate, but she was out doing god-knows-what.

Actually, Roman couldn't remember the last time he saw Neopolitan, his sexy mute assassin. He had sent her off to deal with some officer who was getting a little too close to locating him, but that was weeks ago, she should've been back by now.

"Eh, she'll show up eventually. The girl is durable as hell, probably just off with some new plaything." The gentleman thief thought aloud. He was a crime lord, he wouldn't allow himself to worry about anyone but himself. That was dangerous in this line of work. Speaking of work, the man dressed in his signature white overcoat and black slacks returned to the paperwork in front of him. It was an employee evaluation sheet for some newbie. His place of employment read "Tony's Pizzeria." Some shitty Italian restaurant he owned to clean his money, couldn't put "professional criminal" on anything official obviously. A sudden knock on his door brought his attention back up.

Roman had spent so long looking at sheets of white and black that he had forgotten the layout to his own office. The room wasn't anything too special, it was your standard drab office you'd find anywhere else, with two not too comfortable wooden chairs in front of his similarly made desk, and a black leather couch beside a low coffee table being the only furniture in site. The far door had a plain glass window with the word "Office" printed on it, allowing him to see who dared bother him at eleven p.m.

On the other side of the door was a young girl in red, her hair was jet black with red tips, and her eyes were a strange, dull silver. Her face displayed her trepidation of being a defenseless child in a crime lords main base of operations in the shady part of the city, and in her arms was a beaten and bruised Neopolitan. Roman jumped out of his chair and rushed towards the door, cane in hand, ready to kill the one who dared to hurt Neo. The completely calm and not concerned at all master thief slammed his office door open, shattering the glass and scaring the crimsonette even more.

"What. Happened." He stated more than asked, the girl holding Neo looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "I-I was being harassed by some guys in white and she j-j-jumped in and s-s-s-saved me. After she beat them up, some guy in black and a white mask came and completely beat her." Her explanation was short and full of fear and stutters but Roman understood. However, he was just as confused. Neo saved her? Why? And guys in white and one in black? What the hell was the girl talking about? Now that Roman looked at her, she couldn't have been older than seventeen, what was she even doing here?

"What's your name?" Roman continued.

The girl sniffled and whipped her tears, eyes regaining life.

"Ruby Rose."

* * *

 **Three years later**

Ruby Rose stood in front of the full-length mirror in her room, going over her outfit for the day. Her style hadn't changed much from her early days, sticking to goth and punk inspirations. Deciding that everything was in order, the red and black-clad girl grabbed her signature red cloak and headed downstairs. Walking into the living room, she spotted her father, Taiyang, in the kitchen. The nearing fifty, still ridiculously in shape, security guard was setting down a full plate of breakfast food for him and his daughter on the dining room table when notice Ruby.

"Heya there, Rubbes, got time to eat before you head out?" The old man had a youthful voice like he never aged past his prime. His looks supported this line of thinking, his blonde hair still full and vibrant, blue eyes still held that childlike wonder. He sat down, ready to devour his delicious creation, Ruby joined him, her empty stomach her only motivation at the moment.

"I'm sure I do, but if not, whatever. Jaune and them will understand. It's my first day off in months!" The twenty-year-old stated before engorging herself with the food.

"Well, be sure to tell them if you think you'll be late." Her father reminded her. He wasn't one for rudeness, and he instilled that into his daughters. The two ceased conversation to finish their food, both of them eating quickly, without either of Ruby's mothers around they lacked any and all manners. After they ate, the two placed their dishes in the sink and walked together to their vehicles. Ruby sent her longtime friend, Nora, a quick text instructing her to inform the others that she would be late.

"Oh, Dad, while it is my day off, I have to head to the office to pick up something I left, I'll be late getting back. Don't worry about cooking for me I'll pick something up for myself." The brunette informed Taiyang.

"Alright, Rubbes, guess I'll see you tonight then." With a nod to show he truly understood her, Taiyang got into his truck and headed off to work. Once he was out of sight, Ruby got into her car and looked over the message she received earlier once more.

"Red, I need you in today, after all, got to meet someone and I'd like both my girls there."

"Damn it, Roman. What the fuck." Ruby complained out loud. Torchwick already keeps her busy with the paperwork and sparring with Neo left her sore all over. She was truly looking forward to her day off, and now she'd have to cut it short. The throbbing return to her head, and with an exaggerated groan, she collected the aspirin from her glove box, took 3 and headed to the meeting place to find her friends. What the hell could be so important that Torchwick would call her in? Was this individual he was meeting that dangerous? Or did he just want to dump more work on her? She had no way of knowing until she got there, so with a resolute sigh, she turned on her Bluetooth to clear her mind.

After about twenty-five minutes of driving from her suburban neighborhood into the metropolis known as Vale, she reached her destination. Ruby grabbed her phone, locked her car, and entered the building with a sign that read "Junior's Grill." The familiar restaurant had a modern aesthetic and a black and white color scheme with splashes of red. Junior, the owner, originally wanted a homey wood cabin look, but his daughters took complete control of designing the place and made it what it is today. Speaking of the two, the girls in red and white were the first to greet Ruby as she entered.

"Hey, Ruby!"

"Hi, Cutie." Melanie and Miltia called out simultaneously.

"Oh, hey, Melanie, Miltiades!" Ruby called out excitedly.

"Ugh, Ruby, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Miltia?" Miltiades responded indignantly.

"Sorry, Love, how've you two been?"

"Better now that we've seen you, you haven't been to Daddy's club in months," Melanie answered this time, wrapping her arm around the red tipped girl's waist. Miltia was not far behind her twin, allowing Ruby to place an arm around each other as they walked further into the store.

"Again, sorry, my boss has been working me to death. Your dad's lucky. I haven't seen him around in weeks." Ruby openly complained as she noticed Junior whipping down an empty table not too far off. She and the man had an odd dynamic from an outsiders point of view. The crimsonette would often poke the older bearded man, and he treated her like a third daughter, the oddity being that she was a seemingly normal girl who had no business dealing with a bar owner and information broker. The relationship was started by Ruby's lovely older sister, Yang Xiao Long, whom often went to the man to help locate her bounties.

"Grass is certainly looking greener over here."Junior laughed, the man was normally quite busy managing his legitimate restaurant, nightclub, and information so it was nice to not be bothered by Roman.

"Yeah, well, I'm gonna still with my friends for a bit girls, I'll see you when I can." Ruby dismissed the Malachite twins and turned the corner of the large establishment. More tables, some filled, greeted her. The table furthest back and against a large windowed wall seated her multicolored companions. The one in pink was the first to notice the brunettes approach.

"RUBY!" Nora called out, jumping up and tackling the young girl. With an "oof" the air left Ruby's lungs as she landed on her ass. The other 3 were quick to stand and help the two redheads up.

"Hello to you too, Nora." Ruby weezed out. Nora giggled as she cuddled deeper into the crook out Ruby's neck.

"Sorry, bout that Ruby," Ren, a tall black-haired man of Asian descent in green, apologized for Nora, "It's just been so long." Ruby simply laughed it off, finally sitting down next to Pyrrha.

"It's no biggie, used to it by now," Ruby answered with a wide smile. "Actually kinda missed it."

"Well, we have certainly missed you." Pyrrha, the unofficial mother of the group clad in gold and red, injected.

"Yeah, what's been keeping you so busy?" Jaune, a blonde meek boy sporting a black hoodie and jeans, leaned forward, curiosity clear in his voice.

"Oh, just work, so much paperwork!"

"Really? What could possibly be so demanding?" A concerned Pyrrha asked, the crimsonette obviously couldn't just respond "Oh, y'know, running a crime syndicate." but she hated the thought of lying to her friends. The five of them had been together since early high school.

"Nothing too bad. C'mon, I don't wanna think about work right now, what have you guys been up to?"

While the concern didn't any of their faces, they knew they wouldn't get anything from the crimsonette. Three years ago, maybe, but ever since she got her new job, Ruby had changed. Before Ruby was quiet, shy, and genuine, now she was loud, confident, and deceptive. She had somehow gotten much stronger, though none of them ever seen her go to any gym, and she learned how to fight somewhere along the line. Ruby became quick, no one could touch her if she didn't want them to, and any opponent, no matter the size, would lay at her feet if they challenged her. The four of them tried, again and again, to find out what had changed in her life to cause this but she'd never answer them. The only thing that kept them from forcing the answer out of her was the fact that she was seemingly fine, better even, and that she never once lied to them.

There were plenty of times where Ruby would simply change the topic, or leave if pressed too hard. Quickly, her friends learned to stop asking, although it eventually came back up. After agreeing to let it go for the hundredth time, the conversation moved to much more pleasant things. They talked about Pyrrha's modeling career, and how she was steadily becoming more popular outside of Vale. Ren mentioned that he had finally gotten his therapy license, and Nora got a job at her favorite gym as a personal trainer. With the both of them working they were able to afford their own place and had not so recently moved out of Jaune's home. The aforementioned blonde still worked at the same bookstore with their other friends, Sun and Neptune, who Ruby was told were also doing fine. After talking for about an hour, laughing at Nora's antics, and sharing books to read with Jaune, the fivesome was approached by Junior.

"Hey, Ruby, I gotta talk to you real fast," Junior announced.

"What's up?" Ruby responded.

"Uhh, you sure it's fine? Right here?" Junior asked, gesturing to the others at the table. The crimsonette gave them each a quick glance before turning back to Junior, inquiring on what the topic of discussion was.

"Something our shared boss wants you informed on, nothing too sensitive," Junior answered her.

"Alright, spill," Ruby demanded, suddenly seeming superior to the older man.

"Yes, Ma'am!" Junior replied, shocking everyone in the restaurant, "Shits been gettin' rough out lately," He lowered his voice in embarrassment as he continued, "People are reporting sighting Grimm around lately."

"Grimm!?" The fivesome whispered in horror. The Creatures of Grimm were a plague. Their predatory nature against humanity as a whole earned them notoriety among the everyman. They took on many shapes and sizes but shared just as many traits. From their soulless, blood-red eyes, to the boney white plates that covered each species. They used to be a commonplace disaster, but far from recent advancements in technologies and Dust have kept them far from any city. They were still routinely hunted by each kingdom's military, however, since the longer a single Grimm lived, the stronger and more intelligent it became.

"Yeah," Junior continued, "In the city. They just appear, kill, and then vanish. People report them mainly in the shitter parts like where homeless gather and the police don't take them seriously."

Jaune breathed a sigh of relief at this, "So, its just crazy talk. if the police aren't worried, we shouldn't be either right?"

Nora and Pyrrha regained some of their lost color at this, but Ruby quickly dashed all hope in them with a firm "We aren't police." Ren didn't let the comment slide.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean we shouldn't shove this off as a drug addict's ramblings, Junior, finish." Ruby was curt. Her demeanor had changed as soon as Junior began, she seemed tense, ready for a fight. Junior didn't let anyone ask her why.

"Last thing is that some people are stating that others are 'superhuman.'" No one interrupted this time, "They say that they take bullets like nothing, glowing when shot, and healing super fast. Heard they move faster than a normal person, stronger too. No explanation on that."

Ruby moved her gaze to the floor thoughtfully, and Ren seemed to recognize what Junior was talking about.

"Glowing? Is it a shared color?" Ren leaned forward, tense after hearing what Junior had to say.

"No, each one reports a different person having a different color. If it helps, only two people have been seen in total, and their colors are white and green."

"I have to go," Ruby announced suddenly, surprising everyone.

"What, why?" Both Nora and Pyrrha asked.

"Work." That was all Ruby said before she was gone.

* * *

Vale, the capital of the Kingdom and named after said kingdom, was fairly large. The upper district was where the city officials and rich resided, it was full of large buildings, skyscrapers, and banks. Fancy restaurants and opera houses added to the pretentious and snobby vibe one got by being in the general area. Most people living there were of the one percent, being bankers or aforementioned city official. They lived in expensive mansions, drove expensive cars, and wore expensive clothes. They lived their lives thriving off of gossip and using money to solve any problem, completely ignorant to the needs and worries of the middle and lower districts. The middle district was exactly that, middle. Everyone lived in middle-class homes, drove middle-class cars, you get the picture. It was what people thought of when they heard the word "city." Full of schools, movie theaters, clubs, and suburban neighborhoods. It was the perfectly normal life, who could ask for more?

Blake Belladonna could. She currently lived in the lower district of Vale, and she hated it. The streets were dirty, full of waste and homeless people. Only every other building was even livable, the standard being filled with holes and crumbling to dust. Luckily, it wasn't her permanent home, that being Menagerie, another, smaller kingdom. So, what was she doing in Vale? Simple, White Fang business. Adam Taurus, a red-headed bull Faunus, and she came here to take over the Valeian faction and get them back in order. Adam quickly gained a loyal following here and took the title of Faction Leader no problem. What bothered Blake was what came afterward. In their three year tenure here in Vale, Adam had changed. Not abruptly, but steadily, like a poison. Slowly he became more angry, violent, and ruthless. The orders he gave were more harsh and deadly. Even now, Blake sat alone on a tall office building, scouting out the routine of a senator she was meant to assassinate.

The thought alone disgusted her. The White Fang Blake knew and loved was a peaceful organization. They only wanted equal rights for Faunus, a race of humans with animal traits. The girl in black and white was a cat Faunus herself, sporting two black cat ears under her signature bow. Every day, in every kingdom to various degrees, Faunus were discriminated, segregated, and abused only because they were different. The White Fang was made to fight against this, in a peaceful manner. With protest and demonstrations, they actually began to make progress towards equality. Then Adam stepped in, while he was only a leader to the Faction in Vale, other like-minded individuals were popping up all over Remnant. His mercilessness was already spreading with the organization, Blake's current mission was proof of that. Speaking of, some movement down below brought Blake out of her trance.

On street level was Senator Isaac Black, he was the swing vote on a bill that discreetly allowed Faunus to be forced to work overtime without compensation. It was obvious to anyone that actually read the damn thing, but who bothered with that? It didn't affect the general populace, so it truly didn't matter. The Faunus didn't know what killing him would accomplish, would it send a message? Of course, but was it a message the White Fang wanted? No, it couldn't be, this wouldn't help the Faunus whatsoever. This event would fully mark them as a terrorist group, which would certainly do them no favors.

Blake watched her target enter his car and drive away, harboring no intention to pursue him. She sat down on the edge of her perch and looked at her hand, a light purple glow emanating from it. It was her Aura, an outward manifestation of her soul, or so Blake was told. It made her stronger, allowed her to move faster, protected her from damage, and gave her access to her semblance, Shadow. This was supposed to be the White Fang's secret weapon, Blake only saw it as a tool for war. Only Adam and her possessed Aura, but it gave every member of the White Fang in Vale the confidence to attack their oppressors. That, and the new uniform and masks that Blake refused to wear. With the masks, the guilt of their new terrorist actions didn't weight on the once normal citizens that made up the White Fang. Blake had a front row seat to the White Fang's painful transformation, and it angered her to no end.

"Hey there, Kitty Cat." Which is why she contacted this old drunkard.

"I kindly ask that you never call me that ever again." Blake deadpanned. The old man just laughed at her and took a seat next to the black Faunus giving her a chance to look him over.

His hair was black and unkempt, eyes red, both in color and bloodshot, and his chin was decorated in scruff. Blake could tell he was muscular, but his black business suit covered it well. His white undershirt was unbuttoned at the top, only being held in place by a blood red tie. The Faunus had a feeling that he didn't choose this style on his own, mainly because he looked extremely uncomfortable in it. However, it still made her feel underdressed. Her white sleeveless shirt, black vest, and white shorts suddenly felt inadequate. With a large sigh the feeling left, she requested to meet him again for a reason.

"So, can you really help me, Mr. Branwen?" Blake asked as the man reached for a flask in his inner pocket. Though, he paused once he registered what she said.

"Alright, listen, I won't call you anything cat related if you don't call me 'mister,' deal?"

"Deal. Qrow it is."

"Great, so, to answer your question," he paused to sip his flask, "Yeah, I can help you, but you're gonna hafta help me first."

Blake gave a nod of approval, not wanting to interrupt the man. "This isn't from Beacon, this is from me. I got a niece that lives here in Vale. Real sweet little monster. Haven't seen her in a long time, and I heard she's gotten into some real shit."

Another pause, another sip.

"Her dad and friends are all worried to no end, and I'm a busy guy, I can't just drop in and check on her. That's what I need you for." Qrow looked over to Blake seeing if she understood what he meant.

"So…" Blake began, confused, "You want me to… follow her?"

"Close. I want you to be her friend."

Blake gave the old drunkard a blank stare, slowly processing what he said.

"What?"

 **End of Chapter 1**

* * *

 **Well, that's chapter 1. I honestly can't wait to hear what you have to say and to finish chapter 2.**

 **Next time, we see what Yang is up to, and follow team JNPR as they worry over Ruby**

 **-Ken**


	2. Chapter 2

_**Hello, everyone, to Chapter 2 of**_ **Agents of Beacon.**

 _ **I don't have much to say before this chapter, so I just hope you all enjoy**_

 _ **\- Ken**_

* * *

 **Agents of Beacon**

 **Chapter 2**

If you had never been to the Kingdom of Atlas, you'd never be able to accurately describe it. Most people assumed the northern Kingdom was constantly covered in a blanket of snow, that it's winds were horrendously frigid, and its citizens just as cold as the weather. Yang Xiao Long, a blonde busty bounty hunter, was pleasantly surprised to find that these assumptions were wrong. Yes, it was cold, but nowhere near to the degree that others thought. The ground was free of snow, in fact, the ground was more abundant in flora then back in Vale. The highway roads Yang drove her treasured yellow and black motorcycle, Bumblebee, on were far from slick with ice, allowing her to cruise at a steady 80 mph. Each town or city she passed through on her road trip made her feel welcome and at home. Each person she met was polite and spoke to her like they were old friends. All in all, Yang loved Atlas, just as much as she loved the three other Kingdoms, Vale, Vacuo, and Mistral.

They all had their own values, Vale was rich in culture, all its structures made of material from all corners of Remnant. Vale was her home, and she loved it most of all, the high crime rate was a blessing in disguise that gave the bounty hunter plenty of work. Vacuo was known for thievery and ruthlessness, the harsh desserts hardened any who dared traverse them, and its fauna and flora were either vicious, poisonous, or venomous. There was no such thing as an innocent bystander, everyone was a criminal and would stab you for less than two lien. Mistral had it's art, from music to literature everything that came from this kingdom was beautiful, intriguing, and insightful. Most of all, it all covered the huge divided between the rich and poor, which was the largest of all four Kingdoms.

The one thing that was the same in all four Kingdoms, and Yang's favorite part of traveling between them, was the intercontinental highway that links them all. The highway was a necessity brought about by the Vytal Festival, some huge historical event that Yang didn't bother to learn too much about. She knew the basics, the four Kingdoms all came together after some war and created the artificial island known as Vytal, which had a bi-yearly festival. It was actually coming up soon, the buxom brawler would have to return home to grab her father and little sister. It had been far too long since she had seen either of them, about five years in fact. Yang chuckled as she remembered how difficult it was to convince Taiyang to not only tell her about her mother, Raven but allow her to go off and look for her. She was only seventeen at the time, but after hundreds of self-defense lessons with her beast of a father, he was confident enough to let her go.

Ruby was an even bigger challenge. The girl was only fifteen, had lost her mother, Summer, and was extremely close to her older sister. Convincing Ruby to let her leave was a lot of nights spent crying, fighting, laughing, and eating cake. It was honestly the most fun the two had had together. Even now, while she was on the road, long healthy blonde hair flowing in the high-speed wings from under her helmet, she thought of Ruby. Yang was gonna need plenty more great stories to tell her introverted little sister.

Speaking of great stories, Yang noticed an opportunity for one in one of Bumblebee's rear view mirrors. Behind her was plenty of different vehicles, all going various speeds along the seemingly endless road, but what caught her eye was one particular all white Lexus Sedan flying down the highway at what had to be 110 mph. That, and the three suspiciously all black Sedans pursuing it. Yang's adrenaline rose as her sense of justice kicked in.

First, find out who the bad guys were. Obviously, she assumed the three pursuers were in the wrong. They certainly lacked any blue and red lights signifying police. Also, they all had some douche in the passenger seat shooting at the white Lexus. The first part was completed.

Second, she had to see what she of all people could do. Admittedly more than most. Yang was a registered bounty hunter. She worked independently to bring in those who had fallen out of police radar for whatever reason. She owned two guns, a Maverick twenty gauge shotgun, and a handgun, a Beretta M9. She couldn't use her Maverick, nicknamed Ricky, because she was a comedic genius, for the obvious reason of driving a motorcycle. Maybe make some good use of her M9? Yang wasn't too sure about opening fire on a busy highway at high speeds, but she had just come from Vacuo so her sense of danger was slightly distorted at the moment.

At this point, the white Lexus had caught up to her, Yang took the time to examine the car more closely as it sped past. She noticed a familiar symbol on the side of it. A white snowflake-like glyph. A Schnee logo. One of the many warnings of the world her father told her came back to her as soon as she laid eyes on the logo.

 _If you go to Atlas, then never, and I mean NEVER, get involved with the Schnees. They're nothing but trouble and will use you till you're nothing but dirt on the sidewalk._

Yang hesitated, which allowed the other three cars to fly past her. She noticed that they wore peculiar outfits. White armor over black shirt and pants. A black hood, and a white Grimm mask. On their backs, a large red wolf head with three claw marks behind it.

White Fang.

The hunter had encountered the White Fang a number of times. Many of the group's Faction Leaders ended up as her bounties and even more hunted her wanting revenge. The members in the Sedans in front of her seemed to recognize her as well. Her evidence? Well, mainly the fact that they were starting to shoot at her as well! Yang accelerated in response, rushing past them as to not allow any stray bullets to hit someone uninvolved. She zipped back and forth across the lanes, easily catching up the Lexus in front. Knocking on the driver side window, she raised her helmet's visor in preparation to talk to the driver.

"What the Hell?!" The man in a suit and sunglasses yelled in shock to her.

"Hi, so, my name's Yang Xiao Long," She yelled back, ducking her head as a bullet scraped against her helmet. "I'm a bounty hunter, with a license to carry multiple firearms."

Both cars swerved away to dodge more fire, as the impatient grunts began firing with rifles.

"So you wish to lend aid?!" A girl in the back seat had rolled down her window. She was strange, to say the least. With pure natural white hair in an off-center ponytail, bright blue eyes, and pale skin. What Yang found to be the most striking was a straight scar over her left eye.

"My name is Weiss Schnee," She continued, unfazed by the gunfire, "I can compensate you greatly for your services."

"Awesome! No problem, Princess, I got your back" With this, and a blinding smile on her face, Yang slowed down slightly to allow the Lexus forward. Yang kept both her guns in a special compartment she had installed within Bumblebee, which may or may not had been inspired by a certain bike in a certain video game movie. Pulling out her M9 she began to return fire.

The thing about having a shootout on a highway was that you couldn't take out the car. If you did, it'd lose control and hit another vehicle, causing a large crash, killing almost everyone involved. She would have to be extremely careful with this one. Although it was far from her first highway gunfight, she would never be able to fully enjoy it with the high casualty rate. What needed to be done was disarm the White Fang, forcing them to give up. With her Beretta in hand, she cycled the slide, skipping double action. Yang was a hell of a shot, she took aim and fired three shots. Two hit their mark, knocking the rifle out of one of the shooter's hands. Bumblebee slightly lost control when Yang turned around and fired, shooting backward on a bike was not her smartest idea. The shooter who lost his gun, retaliated by firing back with a pistol, a Sig P226.

"Shit, this isn't gonna be easy." Yang cursed and increased her speed until she was back by Weiss. "Hey, Princess-"

"Do NOT call me that! I am an _heiress_ , far from a spoiled, do nothing princess," Weiss interrupted angrily.

"Christ! Whatever! I need you to hold something!" Weiss was confused by Yang's request but reached out towards her savior anyway. Yang then steered closer, grabbed Weiss' hand, and forced her to grab Bumblebee's handlebar. Next, Yang flipped around to face the black Sedans giving chase. Weiss yelped inelegantly as she had to further lean out of the Lexus to fully control the bike. Now, Yang could more easily aim, and with both of her hands! She was proud of her quick thinking, though Weiss wasn't with her harsh screaming at Yang. It was unbecoming of an heiress to use such crude language in Yang's opinion, but who was she to judge.

Now that she could more comfortably aim, she made short work of disarming their pursuers. She expected them to give up after she shot all their weapons out of their grasps, but to the surprise of Weiss and herself, they persisted. Taking control of Bumblebee back, Yang yelled for the driver to follow her. She rushed passed traffic, snaking through the lanes, and was impressed by how well the Lexus kept up with her. Disappointingly, the White Fang was also doing a splendid of staying on their asses. With barely any warning to her newfound companions, Yang darted to the far left lane, immediately driving down a busy highway exit. The Schnee vehicle managed to stay on her, luckily, and they both drove over the shoulder of the road. Yang wasn't too sure about the Lexus, but she knew Bumblebee handle off-road terrain wonderfully. The two continue into a forest not too far off, while the black Sedans almost crashed from jumping off the exit.

After driving well into the forest, Yang pulled over and loaded Ricky. Once the Lexus reached her, it too pulled over and the two front doors opened to reveal men in black suits and sunglasses, each armed with a Ruger Security-9. Lastly, the back door open and out stepped Weiss.

"Please, step back, Ms. Schnee." One of the men called out.

"No," Weiss responded simply, "It is me they are after, I will not allow any of you to get hurt because of me," Weiss stated. Before either of her guards could argue, Yang approached.

"I like the sound of that, Princess, fighting your own battles and all that," Yang said, with a bright smile.

"Must I say again? Do not call me-"

"You ever shoot a gun before?" Yang interrupted her, angering Weiss further.

"Yes, I've practiced with a multitude of firearms, why?" The only answered Weiss got was a handgun being shoved in her grip.

"It's a Beretta M9, real heavy, single and double action, be careful with it." Yang cocked her Maverick and turned towards where the White Fang was giving chase.

The four of them took covered behind the Lexus just as the three White Fang vehicles all pulled to a stop. "Don't kill any of them, I got rid of all their shit back on the highway. The White Fang would have a field day if a Schnee killed their 'unarmed' comrades."

Yang peeked over the hood of the car, spotting four White Fang members leave each vehicle, each carrying a melee weapon of some sort. There was a bear Faunus that had sharp claws, a deer Faunus with a fucking sword, and an unidentified Faunus with a crowbar just to name a few. Yang turned back to the others, "Though, I wouldn't exactly call them that," she said with a laugh. With a huff, Weiss rocked the slide of the Beretta and rushed past the car, leaping towards a tree for cover. As she did this she fired four shots, each hitting a different Faunus in a limb.

"Nice Shot, Schnee!" Yang cheered with a whistle to emphasize her point. The two men began to open fire, taking out two more Faunus each. With only four opponents left, Yang decided she could play it a bit flashy and hoped over the hood of the Lexus. She charged the uninjured White Fang, slamming the butt of Ricky across the face of the closest one. With a spin, her foot knocked the air out of the aforementioned bear Faunus, and a shot increased the force being slammed on the back of his head as she brought Ricky down. The only members left charged her at the same time, but this only made Yang more excited. She gently tossed her Maverick to one of her assailants and rushed the other one. With her hands up in a boxing stance, she launched five quick and sharp jabs into the face of the deer Faunus, knocking her out. The remaining Faunus tried to cock Ricky, but before he had the chance, Yang's roundhouse kick took him out.

Weiss stepped out of her cover and ordered one of her guards to call the police, the other was instructed to call her father.

"What ya callin' Daddy for, Ice Queen?"

Weiss' eye twitched at the new nickname. "Listen, you brute, I'm calling my father because he would have my head if I didn't, Hell, its routine at this point. Also," She gestured towards the four Yang took out on her own. "Did you even need our help? You took out four of them before I could blink."

The supposed compliment sounded more like a complaint to Yang, but she took in stride. "Well, yeah, how else am I supposed to show off my skills to a potential client? Speaking of, name's Yang Xiao Long, I'm twenty-two and a bounty hunter. Here's my number, call me anytime you need a badass."

Weiss glared at the business card she was presented as if it had insulted her.

"Well, _Yang,_ " the girl in question had never heard her name said with such animosity, "I am Weiss Schnee, and I thank you for your service. I hope we never meet again." Weiss took Yang's card, returned her M9, and walked towards the man on the phone with her father. Normally, Yang would be insulted at a statement like that, but she shrugged it off since the girl was just chased down a highway. She retrieved her Maverick, reloaded both guns, and stored away in Bumblebee.

"WHAT?!" A loud shout echo through the forest. "But… Father, I… Fine, I understand." Weiss spoke into the phone. A few more words must have left her father's lips as she stayed on the line. Finally, she said her goodbyes and sent a deadly glare Yang's way. She approached the brawler, an aura of anger, regret, and hesitance emanating from her.

"Nice to meet you again, Ice Queen."

"Listen, you brute, my father would…" A pause as she seemed to refuse the reality of her situation. "My father would like to meet you."

* * *

Pyrrha Nikos sat with her friends inside of the restaurant they were to meet Ruby in. While the redhead had shown up, she left not too soon afterward thanks to some information the owner of the establishment, and apparent business partner gave her. Ruby had left with few words, Junior as well, leaving the four of them to mull over what had just happened. The Grimm being inside the Kingdom was a scary thought none of them were used to, and the superhumans had silenced Ren. The boy being quiet wasn't anything strange on his own, but he seemed so disturbed. He knew something, and Pyrrha was sick of not having answers to anything.

"Ren?" The model called out. Ren jumped when she spoke, startled out of his deep thought. He was pale, but so were all the others, Jaune especially.

"Do you know something?" Pyrrha asked, concerned. Ren seemed hesitant to answer, but a simple hand on the shoulder from the Nora eased as worry from him.

"I've heard of something similar to what that man told us. From my father," The others were surprised to hear this, the subject of parents was touchy with Ren and Nora, in fact, it had never truly been brought up before by the two directly.

"He owned many books, many containing information long lost to the general public. I don't remember many of them, but the one I do talked about something called 'Aura.' It describes it as a manifestation of one's' inner self. The soul. It provides a passive barrier that protects from outer harm, a boost in strength, stamina, and speed, and finally, access to something called a 'Semblance.'"

Pyrrha and the others all silently absorbed all of this, each thinking very different things. Nora thought about how amazing it would be to possess such abilities, she would be unstoppable. She reminisced on the time she caught Cardin and his lackeys picking on Ruby back in high school. It was freshman year, and she had just met the red-tipped girl, and they hit it off wonderfully. At the time her only friend was Ren, they had saved up all the money they could to get out of MIstral, having lost all their relatives in a Grimm attack on their home. Ruby was special to the thunderous girl. She was Nora's first true friend in Vale, and to see her being harassed by someone much bigger than her set her off. She could've used Aura to really teach those boys a lesson.

Ren thought back to his family. He watched his mother die right in from of him all those years ago, and his father forced Ren to leave him behind. He ran into Nora somewhere along the way, and once they reached Vale they met Ruby. Ren smiled as he remembered what Ruby was like back then, a sweet, shy, awkward girl who worked hard at everything. Something about her brought people together, which is what lead to him meeting Jaune and Pyrrha. Thanks to Ruby he had a brand new family, one he would protect with his life. He could do so easily if he had an Aura.

Jaune's head was filled with the countless times he had failed to stand up for Ruby. The girl was always there for him, stepping in whenever Cardin would bother him. Even though she was so shy, weak, and scared, she made sure she was always there for Jaune. It was Ruby that helped grow the confidence in him that he had now. Right now, Ruby was involved in God-knows-what and he was sitting here just worrying over her. If Ruby was in his shoes, she'd rush in and do the best she could to help him. If only Jaune had an Aura. It would give him the boost, physically and emotionally, that he needed.

Pyrrha was concerned. If there were people out there in Vale with an Aura, and a Semblance, then Ruby was connected. The emerald eyed girl didn't know how, or why, Ruby wouldn't tell her. All she knew was that her friend was in danger. Pyrrha thought of everything Ruby had done for the four of them. She had protected Jaune when he needed her most. Made sure Nora and Ren were comfortable in a foreign place. Brought them all together and made everyone she came into contact with as happy as she could. Ruby was always there for all of them, and when she possibly needed them Ruby had refused to let them in. For three years. Pyrrha had had enough, Aura or not, she would be there for her friend.

Having made her decision, she announced it to her friends at the table. "I'm going to follow her."

"What?" They all responded they had not expected anyone to speak.

"If what you said is true, Ren, then Ruby could be in danger. If she won't let us in then we'll just have to find out for ourselves."

No one offered a response. They each know Pyrrha was right, but they just didn't want to barge into Ruby's private life. Ruby wasn't the same one that they knew, no one was sure how she'd react to them forcing their way in. The way Ruby presented herself was foreign, it seemed wrong even. Her innocence, cheerfulness, and bright smile were replaced with cynicism, dreariness, and a cocky sneer.

Who was Ruby Rose?

"Let's go." Pyrrha's heart skipped a beat at this. She expected resistance, but instead, Ren seemed to agree with her wholeheartedly.

"However," he continued, "I think you two should stay behind." Ren looked to Jaune and Nora.

"Why?" Jaune inquired, more curious than offended.

"Because, if Ruby finds out, I don't want her to lose all of us." Ren's reasoning was fair. If Ruby found out that they had tailed her, she'd most likely cut them off, forever losing trust in them. While they couldn't totally prove this assumption, it was better to be safe than sorry. Soon afterward, Nora and Jaune left, Jaune offering to take Nora home. Pyrrha and Ren stayed behind to formulate a plan for following Ruby.

Unbeknownst to them, however, they were overheard by Miltia. The red twin wasted no time informing Ruby.

* * *

"Thanks for telling me, Miltiades, if I know what they're up to it'll be simple to avoid them." Ruby spoke into her cellphone, on the other end was some line about calling the other "Miltia" but Ruby ignored it.

"I don't blame them for plotting something like this, I've been keeping secrets from them for so long now. Anyway, I'll call you later, I'm at work."

Ruby stood outside an extravagantly fraudulent nightclub in the upper district of Vale. The redhead had called Roman when she reached the warehouse, seeing that he wasn't there. He had told her to meet him at this nefarious location and had her change into some more fitting. She carried a black handheld purse and wore a blood red sleeveless dress that went just past her knees, with black stockings and heels that matched her dress. Her cleavage, which hadn't change much in her tenure under Roman, and shoulders were exposed, covered by a translucent mesh that connected to a black collar. Back in high school, she would have complained all day about dressing like this, but she was used to it now. Roman often forced Neo and her to dress in a similar manner when meeting business partners or to seduce people for information. It was at times like this where Ruby often found the most effective method was to act like her old self, it disgusted her how many grown men and women loved the pure innocent child act.

Ruby walked back inside the club, sat at the bar, and continued sipping on her daiquiri. She had a difficult time ordering, since she was only twenty, but a sharp glare and a slammed fist caused the meek bartender to crack. The club was crowded, and music the crimsonette hated was bumping at max volume. It smelled of sweat, drugs, and sex, and the bright purple lines of the bar mixed with neon lights of the dance floor. All of it accumulated into one headache-inducing mess. Ruby was getting more and more pissed by the second, but a hand on her arm calmed her down immensely.

The hand belonged to Ruby's best friend, Neopolitan. The mute girl looked stunning. Her hair was half brown and half pink with a streak of white, matching with her eyes that switch as she blinked and gave Ruby a gentle smile. Neo's dress was long with a cut out for one of her legs. It was half pink and half white, completing the ice cream theme the girl usually had. The outfit was finished with black heels and a red and white bracelet. Attached to it was Ruby's emblem, a red rose. Ruby wore a matching bracelet, but with Neo's emblem, a three segmented circle. Each segment was a different color, pink, brown, and white. The colors were separated by what seemed to be a Shinto symbol but Ruby didn't know and didn't bither to ask. A phone entered her vision suddenly, she would've jumped if she wasn't used to Neo's way of communicating.

 _Don't fret, Roman shouldn't be too much longer,_ the typed out message said.

"We've been sitting here for two hours, Ice cream cup. What does he even need us for?"

Neo giggled at the nickname and began typing her respond, her fingers flying across the phone's keyboard. At times like this, it was easy to forget that the young girl next to Ruby was a ruthless killer, she acted so differently when it was just the two of them. It was as if she had obtained Ruby's innocence. Maybe she was just enjoying herself.

 _Who knows? Maybe he just wants us to look nice on his arm?_

"I thought he said he wanted us to be there when he meet this client? Why are we down here, while he's up in VIP meeting them?"

While Neo was typing, Ruby turned and looked up towards the VIP Lounge. She easily spotted Roman's signature bowler hat. He sat along with a woman Ruby had never seen before. Her hair was long and wavy, it's color a pitch black. Her eyes shone with a bright amber glow, and her lips with bright with lip gloss. The woman was jaw droppingly gorgeous, her red dress hugged her form tightly.

Ruby was mesmerized, however, Neo took her out of it.

 _Looks like he's done._

Ruby looked down and saw that she was right. Torchwick walked down the spiral staircase that connected the rest of the club with the VIP area. With a subtle gesture, he called the girls to his side, and they were there before anyone could blink. The trio walked out of the club with a confident stride and Roman turned to Ruby.

"So, you spotted my new friend, Red?" Ruby's eye twitched. Her fellow redhead seemed to thrive off of never calling her by name.

"Yes, I did," Was all she offered.

"I saw how you looked at her, liked what you saw, huh?"

Neo sent Ruby a sly smirk, and the crimsonette looked away with an irritated click of the tongue.

"Your point?"

"As you know, Red, I like to know everything about my clients. Problem is, I know jack shit about this one. That's where you come in."

Roman stepped in front of the passenger side of his vehicle, an orange 2014 Dodge Challenger. "I need you to go back in there, work your magic, and get as much as you can out of her."

Neo entered the driver sent of the car, as Ruby eyed her boss suspiciously. What he was ordering of her wasn't anything new, but he had a smile on his face that made her skin crawl.

"She took quite a liking to you, Red." Roman let out a quick laugh and entered his car. Neo wasted no time speeding off down the road, leaving Ruby to do her job. She turned around and walked back into the nightclub. She sauntered pass VIP security with no issue, and beelined towards her target. The woman in question eyed her immediately. She was flanked by two individuals. The first one was a young man with grey hair, and a matching outfit. Ruby noticed that his legs were artificial while searching for weapons on him. He looked bored out of his mind, and seemed to hate the nightclub as much as Ruby.

The other one was a female with dark skin and light green hair. Her outfit also matched her hair, with its white and brown color scheme and green crop top. Her red eyes bore into Ruby with a silent hatred. Ruby returned her glare with full force, daring the woman to try something. The girl stepped forward to confront Ruby, but was quickly stopped by the seated woman in red.

The woman wore a slight smirk as she eyed Ruby's figure. Ruby now had the chance to take in her observer's outfit more clearly. Her v-neck dress had intricate yellow designs along the chest and arms. Her shoulders and legs were bare, and she wore a jeweled anklet on her right leg.

"Hello, Ruby" Her voice was like silk, smooth and seductive, Ruby loved the sound of it. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Roman told me a lot about you. These two are my apprentices, Mercury and Emerald."

"It's a pleasure to meet you two!" Ruby exclaimed, as cheerfulness to her voice that was normally absent. After she greet the two, she sat down and faced the woman who had yet to introduce herself. Just like that, it was as if the two lackeys weren't even there.

"My name is Cinder Fall, may I offer you something to drink?"

 **End of Chapter 2**

* * *

 _ **And that's chapter 2. I had a lot of fun writing this one, especially Yang's part, but if you don't think I did them justice I'd love to hear your points. This being my first fic for anything I'm really excited to hear how I can better capture these girls.**_

 _ **Next time we'll see the aftermath of Ruby meeting Cinder, and Qrow finally brings Blake to the Xiao Long household.**_

 _ **\- Ken**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Welcome to chapter 3 of**_ **Agents of Beacon!**

 _ **I haven't been getting a lot of reviews, so it's hard to know if you all are enjoying the story. I'd love to hear your thoughts on where the story will go, and how you feel about our girls. So, I ask that you leave a review, it could be anything! I'll even respond to some in these ANs.**_

 _ **For Example:**_

 **ShadowPony12: _I never intended to give off such vibes, but it makes me happy to hear she feels so badass to you. Our Little Rose won't disappoint!_**

 ** _With that, let's begin!_**

 ** _\- Ken_**

* * *

 **Agents of Beacon**

 **Chapter 3**

Ruby Rose awoke in an unfamiliar bed, in an unfamiliar room, in an unfamiliar house. She was alone, nude, and clearly hung over. The pain in her head was the worse it had ever been and her stomach felt as though it would push itself out of her body. Her limbs were sore, and she was covered in sweat. She also couldn't remember about beyond introducing herself to Cinder last night. The crimsonette must have drunk far past her limit.

The sound of the bedroom door opening brought her attention to her surroundings. The room she was in was quite large. The bed Ruby occupied was a California King, covered in ash black silk sheets and a red cotton cover. A nightstand on each side of the bed and a table along the right wall was next to what was either a closet, bathroom or both. The left wall only held a large window. The sunlight was blocked by large red curtains and blinds. The carpet was a royal purple that was matched by the paint on the walls. The door opened fully, revealing a house robe clad Cinder. In the ashen maiden's hands were mugs filled with the elixir of life known as coffee.

"Oh, you're awake, Little Rose."

Ruby mentally jumped at the pet name. Not because of Cinder, though the way she said it did make Ruby's heart flutter. No, it was because of the memories the pet name held. Memories of a white cloak, and fresh chocolate chips cookies on a warm summer day. Cinder reached the bed and sat down next to Ruby, handed her a cup of coffee, and looked her over. Ruby was small in many ways. Her build was slender, waist thin, bust modest, all things Cinder found quite attractive when compared to the girl's ability and personality. Cinder then took notice of the red and white bracelet that Ruby still wore.

"What's that, Ruby," Cinder asked, feeling an odd tinge of jealousy, though she'd never let that show.

"Oh, this," The girl sounded as though she would continue but never did. She simply admired the bracelet with a genuine smile. The tinge of jealousy grew to a seething rage, but with a deep sigh, Cinder let it go. It seemed Ruby was much closer to her literal partner in crime then the ashen maiden thought. It'd be simple enough to rectify that annoyance. The two finished their drinks and got dressed, Cinder in a dress similar to the one she wore last night and Ruby in a black variant. For a long while, they just sat and talked. Ruby enjoyed her time with Cinder, being in her presence alone was enough to fill Ruby with joy. Cinder seemed to feel the same, from what Ruby could guess through her body language. They both yearned to be in contact with each other, both loved to hear the other laugh, and most of all they were both suspicious of how much they enjoyed the others company.

In their line of work, charisma was a huge factor in success. The art of seduction was a form of manipulation the two were well versed in. Ruby knew Cinder simply wanted to use her for her body, and Cinder knew Ruby was just doing her job. The problem was that since the two of them were so good at what they did, they could read each other like books. Normally, Cinder's glare was enough to bring someone to their knees. A sentence would make them bend to her will. But Ruby was different. The crimsonette was just as cunning, manipulative, and sly as Cinder. The game of words and double meanings that were common in the criminal underworld went from a battlefield to a friendly bout.

While Cinder thoroughly enjoyed Ruby's company, the same could not be said for her two lackeys. Cinder's home was a large mansion isolated on a hill in Vale's upper district. The three floored home was lived in by Cinder, Mercury, Emerald on the west wing, and the very few servants on the east wing. Because Mercury and Emerald were basically Cinder's bodyguards, it was hard for the duo to avoid Ruby. Mercury was tolerable for the redhead. He was just unsociable, preferring to be left alone. It wasn't that he hated Ruby, the boy just didn't like people. He was perfect for his role of Cinder's personal assassin.

Emerald was a different story. The green girl seemed to despise Ruby from first sight. Every time the two were around each other the room would fill with a dangerous aura. Ruby would taunt by sticking closer to Cinder, cuddling into her like a love-struck fool. Cinder certainly enjoyed it, making no comment for Ruby to give her some space. Emerald's red eyes burned with jealousy, and her voice was laced with venom. There were many times where Cinder had to reel in the young girl, with Ruby teasing her the two almost fought numerous times. With as much fun as it was to rub salt into Emerald's wounds, it certainly got in the way of her time with Cinder.

"Hey Cinder," Ruby called out.

The two were seated on the balcony overlooking the entire city. Literally, everything could be seen, and Ruby even spotted Sun's car leaving work.

"Yes?" Cinder answered.

"Let's go make some money." Cinder gave a small hum as she followed Ruby to her car. The two set out, leaving unannounced, and drove through the city until they reached a modest home. Ruby instructed Cinder to wait and she went inside the home. Now all by her lonesome, Cinder simply sat and thought. Her mind instantly went to one of her newly found problems. Neopolitan. Cinder didn't know much about the girl, only that she was close to Ruby. Cinder wanted Ruby to only see her, but as things were she only saw Neo. Though, it was no matter at the moment. Cinder knew the redhead would want to see her more and more. It would be a slow process, but Cinder would claim her rose yet.

* * *

After Ruby came back the two of them drove around the entirety of Vale. The house Ruby had stopped at was home to one of Roman's underlings. Ruby had taken all of the man's drugs and went out with Cinder to sell them. It was quite a load. Weed, Percocets, and alderall were just a few examples of what they sold. They didn't really have a need for the money, both having a large steady income already, so they blew it on whatever they passed. While they were getting something to eat, Ruby got a call from her uncle, Qrow. Cinder seemed to know the name and was visibly shaken slightly. Ruby simply made a mental note of it and was taken to her car which was still parked at the nightclub.

Ruby opened the door to her home and was surprised to see a new face. In the living room to her right was her father, Taiyang, and Qrow. They sat on the couch next to each other and in a seat to the side was the stranger. Amber met silver. The two girls locked eyes, both wary of the other. The girl wore a black bow that Ruby found peculiar, but before she could even introduce herself Qrow spotted her.

"Woah there Kiddo, whats with the get-up?" Qrow barked out. It was only then that Ruby realized she still wore the black variant of Cinder's outfit. Qrow seemed to recognize it but didn't say, he only gave Ruby a look that she knew meant 'We'll talk later.'

"It's a friend's," Ruby answered bluntly, she dropped her purse onto the kitchen counter on her left and sat in an empty seat facing the unknown girl.

"So," Ruby said.

"Right, right, geez, Kiddo. Not even a hi," Qrow complained. The old drunkard didn't take Ruby's change as well as others. He missed the days where his niece would tackle him and ask 'Didya miss me?' but now it was always business.

"Sorry. Hi, Uncle Qrow." Ruby stood and embraced the man. She seemed truly apologetic for being curt with the man. "I still wanna know why you called me here, I was having fun."

"Oh? What were you doing?" Taiyang interjected.

"Just driving around, but enough about me," Ruby turned her demeanor suddenly deadly and her stare sharp at the girl, "Who're you?"

"Blake. Blake Belladonna." Ruby seemed to recognize her name, but chose to make no note of it, instead, she introduced herself as well. After introductions, Qrow explained how he met Blake. Ruby didn't listen however, she could read people, came with the territory, and while Qrow was doing a fantastic job, Blake wasn't. The girl was nervous, understandably so, and she seemed extreme wary of Ruby. Taiyang was so carefree that it helped Blake calm down, but she'd tense right back up when the girl looked at Ruby. The four spoke for a long time, and eventually, Qrow had to take off. Blake was now alone with Ruby, Taiyang leaving to fix dinner, and Ruby had them walk to the backyard to continue talking.

The backyard of the Xiao Long household was large, to say the least. The back door lead to a wooden patio, with a small staircase connecting to the actual yard, and a railing perfect to lean against. On the right side of the yard was a large shed full of tools. It looked like a pit stop on a race track and the concrete in front of it connected to the driveway. The center of the yard was a large open space and the left side was home to a garden. Blake spotted Roses, Lilies, Amaryllis, and Chrysanthemums. The flowers were mixed together in batches, like a big family. As Blake admired the rest of the garden her ears flicked at the sound of movement behind her. She went to turn towards the noise but her instincts kicked in, and with a use of her semblance, she narrowly avoided a roundhouse kick from Ruby.

Elegantly, the Faunus landed on the railing and sent a questioning glare towards Ruby, who still held her foot where Blake's head used to be.

"What was that?" Ruby had a look of disbelief in her eyes, and she brought her knee to her torse and leaned on her leg as if it was a counter. Blake analyzed the girl's stance, it seemed uncomfortable but Ruby's weight never shifted or wobbled. Her shin was like a shield and a sword at the same time. Blake couldn't see a gap in her guard. Blake's hand clenched over her right shoulder, and she realized her weapon was back inside with the rest of her meager luggage. Looking at her opponent, Blake felt at a disadvantage, she had her Aura and Semblance, but she wasn't well versed in hand to hand combat.

"Not gonna answer, huh?" Ruby chuckled and her face darkened sending a shiver down Blake's spine. Her silver eyes held a sick pleasure, and her smile was widening by the second.

"Fine then," Ruby continued, "I'll just have to make you talk!"

Ruby dashed forward, faster then Blake could track. The crimsonette's smile took up all of Blake's vision and she was forced back after dodging another harsh kick. After landing further in the yard, she took in Ruby as the girl stood in Blake's prior spot on the railing. Why had she suddenly attacked her like that? Ruby had no reason to trust Blake, sure, but she also had no reason to go on the offensive like this. Blake was a swordswoman herself, she knew you could understand someone by trading blows, so she assumed that was what Ruby was doing now. Her line about making her talk sounded like something out of an action movie, adding to Blake's assumption. Maybe the girl just wanted to know Blake's intentions in staying in her home? If so, Blake couldn't blame her.

"You should pay attention in battle." Blake's heart jumped as Ruby was suddenly behind her. Legs locked around Blake's head as she was flipped back onto her stomach. Ruby followed through with a cartwheel, bring her heel down on Blake. Her blow meet the dirt as a shadow dissipated. She looked up just in time to find Blake spinning in midair, bringing her knee to Ruby's face. The blow was blocked by Ruby's arms and she was dragged back by the force of the kick.

Blake was strong, ridiculously so. Ruby didn't know how she was producing shadow clones, but her strength must've been from what Junior told her about.

"Do you have an Aura?" Ruby spoke, surprising Blake. The Faunus hesitated, she saw no point in hiding it from Ruby, and she seemed to know at least a little about the topic, but she recalled the words Qrow told her on their way there. Aura was a secret, a secret kept by the drunkard's employer. Said employer was willing to help Blake, keep her safe from the White Fang while her parents back home could make sure she was safe there. Menagerie was home to the White Fang after all. Blake looked Ruby in the eyes. If the Faunus wanted to be trusted by her, she'd have to give some first, besides, the girl seemed to be in the know anyway. Blake would play the cards she was dealt.

 _If you dare nothing, then when the day is over, nothing is all you will have gained._

"Yes," Blake dropped her stance and stood completely open, "I have an Aura, and with it a Semblance. That was what those shadows were."

Ruby kept her guard up for a few seconds after Blake spoke, taking in what she said. With a deep sigh, she too dropped her guard and approached the Faunus.

"I'm assuming that was supposed to be a secret. Judging by the way you hesitated and how Qrow lied earlier." Blake nodded and Ruby chuckled, "Well, I guess there's no point in fighting ya anymore." Ruby walked towards the house and Blake began to follow her. Then, her instincts kicked in once more, and she blocked a punch from the younger girl.

"But I could use the exercise," Ruby said with a smile. Blake jumped back and brought up her fist up. The battle went from an analytical bout to playful training just like that. It seemed that Blake was accepted into the home with no issue.

* * *

Most people in the city of Vale thought the police force to be pushovers. While Vale was certainly the safest of the four kingdoms, that didn't mean crime was nonexistent. Many Crime Lords made their home in the capital and made their money mostly through drugs and deals with the rich. There were gang wars and gun violence, but the average citizen was lucky enough to never know of it. Crime wasn't random mugging or murders, it was assassinations, drug deals, and tax evasion. To add to all of that, most Crime Lords had cops on their payroll, so it was virtually impossible for the police to apprehend them.

That meant that most cops just patrolled, and brought in drug addicts. Day in and day out was the same calls about the same lowlifes causing trouble in the lower district of Vale.

Even now, a police officer walked through the slums of the city, responding to a call about some runaway. He had been on the force for so long, and walked these same streets so much, the man was honestly thinking of just heading home and making something up to his superiors. His uniform was old and dirty, his gun was neglected, and his shoes were covered in gunk.

It wasn't his fault, he was so busy with paperwork he didn't have time to clean anything. The middle-aged man thought to his apartment, full of pizza boxes and dirty laundry. Personally, the man was more of a clean freak. He hated the feeling of dirt all over him, and to see his home so messy, but with the amount of work he had there was no choice.

He stepped over a pile of meat that was impossible to know what it originally was. The slums were full of trash and homeless, so piles like that one were commonplace here. Looking around, the man took note of the same abandoned homes with broken windows and crumbling frames, and the same detritus that filled the streets that he always took note of while he was here. The chill of the night air pushed through his uniform, sending a shiver down his spine, and the smell of vomit and fecal matter made it hard to breathe.

Finally, the officer reached his destination. A house that looked exactly like the other shitholes he passed on the way. He entered the home through where the door was supposed to be and began his search. He recalled the call was for a runaway, which was rare, but still common enough to bore the man. His target was a young woman, with blonde hair, last seen in a light blue sundress. She'd stand out immensely against the drab faded color of the wallpaper and the piss stained hardwood floor.

It didn't take him long to spot the girl because of this. She sat in the corner of the former living room, arms wrapped around her knees, and face hidden by her long hair. Her build was slender, too much so, as if she hadn't eaten in months. Arms covered in wounds, from drug usage and scratching from withdrawal. The dress she wore was littered with holes and blood, and her shoes were missing.

As the police officer stepped closer the wood flooring creaked, making his presence known to the young girl. As she looked up, a chill of fear ran through the veteran cop.

Her face was pale, not as if she was scared or shocked, but as if all life was gone from her. Her eyes were the source of the terror shaking through the man. The soulless stare was punctuated by the vast blackness that replaced the white of her eyes. Her pupils were red, and irises were matched the abyssal darkness in the very center of her eyes. Inky black veins stretched out from her eyes to her temple, and the man could see the blood pumping through them.

The officer fell backward in horror, though he had never seen them personally, the man knew the eyes of Grimm when he saw them.

The woman stood, arms limp at her side, and stepped forward. She gargled as if choking, and the cracking of bones could be heard from her. Her body twisted and bulged as she tore at her torse. Her nails ripped apart her dress, revealing a pure white bra and even more wounds along her stomach. She dropped to her knees a let loose a blood-churning scream. The veins starting growing, slowly covering her body until she was a black blob on the floor. Her eyes turned from black to pure shiny red as she grew in size. Her bones tore through her skin, becoming white plates all across her back, forearms, legs, and head. Her mouth extended, and her teeth became large and sharp.

The police officer began to piss and cry. He shakingly drew his service pistol and fired on the transforming monster. The entity shrugged the volly of pullets off as it stood tall.

The young girl had painfully transformed into an Alpha Beowolf right in front of his eyes.

Before the man could even scream the beast was upon him.

The Beowolf finished it's meal and transformed back into the young girl. She began to saunter off into the night but something stopped her. Looking down she could see a large gray blade piercing through her abdomen. The blade left her just as suddenly, and she collapsed, disappearing into black smoke. All that was left was Qrow Branwen.

He sheathed his weapon, Harbinger, and pulled out his phone. With a single click, a call was made and answered immediately.

"Yeah, I found her. But only after some suit got eaten, the poor bastard didn't know what hit em." Qrow spoke into the phone. He silently listened as the voice on the other end spoke.

"Yeah, having a team stationed here would help me out, but why bring up a team? All we got is that Faunus girl, what was her name again? Blake, right?"

Qrow was silent once more, he switched the call to speaker and placed on a table. He began to check the rest of the room, taking note of anything and everything. The cleanup crew needed to know so they could know what to clear out.

"I've been looking around a bit, and I think I found some more candidates to go with our blooming Amaryllis." The phone announced. Qrow laughed at the flower motif his employer was following. Oz was always cautious.

"And who're they?" Qrow asked though he didn't really care.

"A Lily, A Chrysanthemum, and..."

Qrow paused in his inspections, thoughts of a certain garden maintained by a long lost friend came to mind. He realized what his employer was getting at, and he didn't like it.

"...And a Rose."

 **End of Chapter 3**

* * *

 ** _With that, we've reached the end of another chapter. This chapter was originally_ very _different, and it just didn't sit right with me, so I went back to change it. The flower thing was a spur of the moment idea but I like it, I'll try to keep it up._**

 ** _Next time, we check back in to see what Weiss and Yang are up to and see if JNPR is doing well with following Ruby around._**

 ** _\- Ken_**


	4. Chapter 4

_**Hey, Everyone, welcome back to a new chapter of**_ **Agents of Beacon**

 _ **This chapter was an odd one to write. It started really fun, I was typing like a madman, but as soon as I decided to take a break and come back it was a slog to push through. But things are happening, and the story is finally starting to move ever so slightly**_

 **ShadowPony12: _I'm glad you're enjoying it, mah dood, how are you feeling about the other characters?_**

 _ **I hope you all enjoy this chapter, like a review and favorite if you do!**_

 ** _\- Ken_**

* * *

 **Agents of Beacon**

 **Chapter 4**

The harsh bite of the chilled Atlas air hit Yang's face as she removed her helmet. The brawler was parked next to the Lexus she had encountered on the road about two hours ago. She took in the environment around her, her amazement clear as the sky above her. The ground was made of grey brick, leading to a fountain of similar structure in the center of the front yard. The centerpiece was made of polished stone and had the likeness of what Yang assumed was a past Schnee, perhaps the founder of the SDC. Past the fountain, the brick road continued until it reached the large stylish front door of the manor Weiss called home. The manor itself was an impossibly clean white, so much so that everything about it seemed fake. The pillars looked to be made of marble, and the windows were tinted a grey color. In fact, the only thing that seemed real about the home was the hedge that surrounded the entire property.

As Weiss and Yang entered the home, the two bodyguards seeming to have disappeared once they arrived, Yang noticed that Weiss was stiff, uncomfortable even. The Heiress walked through the home quickly, most likely wanting to be done with whatever was about to occur. Her heels echoed angrily on the marble flooring as they walked past suits of armor, large Grimm statues, and numerous paintings of the current Schnee family. Yang noticed that Weiss had two siblings, an older sister, and a little brother. The painter must've been truly talented because Yang could see that none of them were happy. Momma Schnee seemed tired. It would seem the marriage was far from a good one. Her eyes were dead, and the way she held the children was void of love. Papa Schnee was much the same. He stood alone, arms behind his back with the smallest Schnee in front of him, mimicking his father.

Front and center of the painting were Weiss and her older sister. In the older girl's eyes was a silent anger. She stood with a resolute purpose and in her hand was Weiss'. Weiss herself was unique in the picture. She clung to her sister's hand as if it would save her. Save her from the clear isolation in her eyes. The portrait was meant to be a happy one. The feelings one got from admiring it was meant to be familial pride. But the only feeling Yang felt staring at it was 'Isolation.'

"Are you coming?!"

Yang's lavender eyes left the painting and met Weiss' light blue eyes. The pale girl was stuck-up, rude, and a bitch. Now Yang understood why. The bounty hunter knew people well, something she picked up on while on the road. She knew Weiss' aggressive nature was coming from a place of vulnerability. If Yang hadn't seen that painting she would've just shrugged Weiss off, but now she knew she just needed a friend.

"Yeah, Ice Queen, lead the way," Weiss rolled her eyes as she continued through the cold home. It didn't take long until they reached a wooden door, which Weiss knocked on and was told to enter. Behind the door was an office. The walls on either side were large bookshelves filled with books on many topics Yang didn't care for. In front of the two was a small coffee table flanked by two large couches, and underneath was a blue carpet. Passed this was a desk, covered in paperwork and books. Finally, in the cushioned wheeled chair, was the big man himself, Papa Schnee.

"Welcome, Miss Xiao Long," Papa Schnee stood and beelined towards Yang, shaking her hand. His slicked back white hair was more due to old age rather than natural coloring, though Yang couldn't say the same for his bushy mustache. His eyes were a dull blue, and just by looking into them Yang could tell he was far from genuine in his excitement to meet her.

"Please, just call me Yang," The brawler responded. The trio all sat, Papa Schnee in his office chair, Weiss on one of the couches, and Yang next to her. Weiss shifted away from Yang as if her presence was poisonous.

"Yang it is, my name is Jacques Schnee. You may call me Jacques or just Jac."

"I'll go with Jac then."

"Wonderful," Jac then turned his attention to Weiss. "Now, Sweetheart, why don't you tell me what happened."

The name 'Sweetheart' had never been said with such uncaring coldness before but Yang was far from surprised. She wouldn't dare to truly understand the family dynamic, but the painting hid nothing. The Schnee household was a cold one, and it wasn't from the Atlas air. As Weiss explained the events, Yang thought over what Jac could want with her. Yang would bet money on the fact that he wanted her to be Weiss' personal bodyguard, but for what reason? The Schnees could purchase anyone to protect them, and while Yang was good, she knew for a fact there were people better than her. A certain pink and brown girl came to mind, but she quickly shook it off. Weiss had finished talking.

"I see…" Jac took a deep sigh and seemed absentminded for a moment. After what might as well have been an eternity, Weiss was asked to leave the room. Yang was left alone in the office of the one person her father told her to avoid, this oughta be good.

* * *

The Schnee Family Manor held a multitude of facilities within its walls. There was a home theater, a full indoor bathhouse, a gym with every piece of workout equipment imaginable, and a shooting range. Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, stood in a white sports top, leggings, and tennis shoes. Her pale skin glistened with sweat from her recently finished workout. Her muscles weren't too large, and they tensed as she fired her personal handgun, a Taurus Centerfire Revolver. The gun was customized to fit a Schnee, the rubber grip was a light blue, and the barrel was white. The Schnee logo was printed on either side of the grip.

The sound of her shots echoed loudly as she let loose all six shots before quickly reloading and firing again. Strangely, standing there firing continuously into a paper-thin target was calming to her. It was her favorite part of her routine, though she could tell it was about to be rudely interrupted. Even with the noise-canceling headphones on, she could hear her little brother approaching.

"Why do you insist on continuing this boorish behavior, dear Sister?" The boy asked for the hundredth time. The child was a spitting image of their father, that included his animosity toward Weiss' hobby. The heiress didn't answer him, simply reloaded and fired again. The boy's brow twitched in annoyance, but before he could bother Weiss further a hand landed on his shoulder.

"Leave her alone, kid, she's busy." Yang entered the room as she pushed the young Schnee out.

"Unhand me this instant you-"

"Yeah, yeah, it's bedtime brat." After kicking the child Yang will now and forever call Baby Schnee out, the bounty hunter entered the stall next to Weiss.

"You just mistreated a Schnee. I don't know if you're brave or stupid." Weiss finally spoke.

"Probably a little of both if I'm honest." Yang joked. She took out her Beretta, completely dismantled it and inspected each part. After she put the pistol back together, the two of them just practiced their aim. It quickly devolved into a competition on who could earn the most points. Yang won easily, which agitated the Schnee girl excessively and that amused the brawler even more than winning. Afterward, Yang asked Weiss if she wanted to eat with her so they could talk, and while the heiress was vehemently against spending any more time with Yang, she eventually gave in.

"What did you want to speak about?" Weiss asked as she picked at her food. The two sat alone in the dining room of the Schnee manor. The room was quite large and housed only a long table. The women sat across from each other at the end of the table closest to the door.

"Should be obvious. It's bout what Papa Jac wanted." Weiss stared at Yang in disbelief.

"What did you just call him?"

"...Papa Jac?"

"Never let him hear you say that."

"Oof, that's awkward, he's the one who gave me the okay on that," Yang gave Weiss a toothy smile. The pale girl felt a headache coming on.

"What did Father want?" Weiss really wanted the blonde gone.

"Welp, he hired me to be ya personal bodyguard."

"WHAT," Weiss slammed her hands on the table on stood. Yang prepared herself for what Papa Jac warned her on.

"Why on Remnant would Father hire a barbaric lunatic such as yourself? While I will not hesitate to admit you are skilled, you have shown yourself to be rude, ill-mannered, and rash. I barely want to eat dinner with you and you sit there and tell you me that you are meant to be around me at all times?!" The girl slammed her fist once again. "Besides, I already have guards, and if that's not enough I have been training with nearly every firearm in existence. As well as swordsmanship. I do not need some bimbo by my side to protect me, I am fine on my own."

Yang stared bewildered at Weiss, who cleared her throat and sat back down.

"Well, it's gonna be a pleasure protecting you." The two locked eyes, both refusing to give. While Papa Jac had hired Yang, the girl herself did want to be around Weiss. She understood how hard it was to be alone, she had been on her own for five years. Yang had no one to truly sit down and conversed with, they both needed a friend.

"I'm gonna stick around whether you like it or not. Why not make this easy for both of us and just accept it?" Yang reached out with her hand, offering it to Weiss. The heiress stared at Yang in quiet anger. She truly did not want to be around the girl, but if her Father hired her to be there, then there was nothing that could be done.

With a huff, the girl gave in once again to the blonde boxer.

"Fine." Their hands met in a firm handshake.

* * *

"Is that them?" Blake asked Ruby. The two were seated in Ruby's car, a red Toyota GT. When Blake had woke up that morning, it was to Ruby barging into her room saying they were going out on a date. Blake had no idea what was going the whole time she got ready, was even more in the dark as they ate, and gave up when they got in the car. She hadn't expected Ruby to barge in and drag her out, considering they only just met. Then fought. And while they did end up getting along, after training the two found out they shared favorite authors and pastime, it was still way too soon to be dragged out of slumber.

"Yeah, it is" Ruby responded, she wore a huge smile on her face as she looked back and spotted her friends. The 'date' they were supposed to be on was Ruby just fucking with her friends who were trying to tail her. Why she forced Blake along was still unknown to the Faunus. Though it had been fun, they had lead Ruby's friends, who Blake was told were named Pyrrha and Ren, all over town. They would laugh as they would speed off and lose them, allow themselves to be found, just to speed off again. Even now, the sun was down and they sat in a grocery store parking lot, Ruby's friends having just pulled up.

Blake would gladly admit that it was nice to see the younger girl just having genuine fun. Her entire life Blake seen only hate and death, struggle and starvation, and pain. Life in the White Fang was not easy, so to see someone enjoying themselves, Human or Faunus was something Blake didn't know she needed.

"Hey, Ruby, thanks for dragging me out today," Blake spoke. The earnest thanks caught Ruby off guard, and she blushed.

"No biggie, Blake, I just…" Blake titled her head curiously, "I just figured it would be uncomfortable to just start living with people you don't know. And since I kinda just attacked ya outta nowhere, I thought I should make it up to you."

Blake was surprised Ruby considered her situation like that, and it made her smile grow.

"Well, you've certainly helped me get comfortable. After being attacked by you, Taiyang letting me into his home, and Qrow offering me a job I see no reason to be uncomfortable." Blake had been staying at the Xiao Long household for about two weeks at this point. Qrow had come back and told her that his employer was interested in hiring her, though she was hesitant considering she had no idea what Qrow even did. Taiyang took note of the lack of her own property and took her shopping, she managed to pick up some lovely lavender shampoo as well.

Ruby was the best out of the three, however. Ruby's line about needing exercise was no joke, the two would spare out in the backyard nearly every day. Some days the two would simply sit inside and converse or read. It didn't take long for the both of them to notice their similar taste in books, Ruby even enjoyed one of Blake's favorites, 'Ninjas of Love.' There were days, however, when Ruby would disappear before Blake awoke. When she asked about it, both Ruby and Taiyang would just say the redhead was working. Blake was extremely curious as to what the girl did since she was so well-versed in combat and had a ridiculous about of cash at all times. Blake didn't know if she was close enough to ask, considering that Taiyang and Qrow didn't know, but nothing ventured, nothing gained.

"Hey, Ruby, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, Blakey, what's up?"

"What is it that you do?" Blake thought the question was an innocent one, but the look Ruby gave her was the harshest the Faunus had ever seen. The glare was deadlier than the one Adam gave her the last time they spoke.

"Why do you want to know?" Ruby's voice was laced with suspicion and her eyes scanned Blake up and down. Suddenly, they were strangers once more, and the closeness they shared, as meager as it was, was replaced by hostility.

"I… I just wanted…" Blake began, but as she looked into Ruby's eyes she faltered. Ruby was a good friend, one the Faunus girl only had once before in the White Fang. Thoughts of a young chameleon Faunus came to Blake's mind. She already betrayed someone's trust once before, she would not do so again.

"Nevermind, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked." Blake's eyes drifted to her lap and Ruby's mood shifted once more. Honestly, it was annoying how easily Ruby could shift back and forth between friendly neighbor to badass in an instant, but at least it made it clear whenever Blake did something wrong.

"No, I'm sorry," Ruby spoke, surprising the Faunus, "I'm sure you didn't mean anything, it's just in my line of work you can never be too careful." Ruby looked towards her friends, they sat in a car parked on the far side of the parking lot.

"Listen, Blake, I'll tell you what I do, only you, but not because you asked. I'll tell you because I also have a question." Curious amber met cautious sliver. "Who were you before Qrow brought you to us?"

Blake wasn't sure what to do. On one hand, if Blake wanted Ruby to share a secret, then, of course, she'd have to share her own. No one in Ruby's life knew what the redhead was willing to share with the Faunus, it was obvious there would be a price. But on the other hand, Blake had no idea how Ruby felt about the Faunus, let alone the White Fang. Blake could still just let this go, they could just drop it and not worry at all. It would be so easy to forget she even asked, she didn't want to lose a friend she just made.

No. She couldn't, that was running away. All her life Blake had ran. She ran away from home to join the White Fang. She ran away from the fact that Adam was becoming a tyrant. She ran away from the White Fang after being forced to see the truth. Even her semblance allowed her to run. She was tired of it. She contacted Qrow so she could start over. So that she could change. Now was her chance.

Blake slowly reached up to the bow on her head. Ruby watched silently as the bow came undone, and Blake hesitated to meet Ruby's gaze.

She was surprised once again to see Ruby looking at her with a bored expression.

"Uhh… Sorry, Blakey, but was that supposed to be a reveal?"

Blake stared dumbfounded, "You… you knew?" The Faunus whispered.

"Hehe, yeah," Ruby tapped her nose, "It's nowhere as good as yours but my nose is hella sharp. Plus, I'm friends with this guy name Sun, I know the smell of Faunus **very well** thanks to him, ugh." Ruby shuddered at the memory. Blake was frozen, she was not ready for that.

"Um… then… I'm sure you can guess what I used to do."

"Mmm… yeah, I can guess, you don't need to say." Ruby reached over and gently stroked Blake's cat ears. The older girl blushed deeply, "Ruby, you know it's extremely intimate to do that right?" Blake asked.

"Yeah, I know," Ruby said as she moved her hand to Blake's cheek, turning Blake's head to look into her eyes.

"I need to know Blake. Did you ever kill anyone?"

"No, in fact, that's why I left. I couldn't follow Adam anymore." Blake's eyes held a strong determination, showing Ruby she meant it.

"Good, but, who's Adam?"

"Oh, um, he's… he's the Faction Leader of the White Fang's Vale Branch."

Ruby perked up at this.

"Blake, I work for a man named Roman Torchwick, I-"

"Roman?!" Blake screamed, "you work for one of the five Crime Heads of Vale?!"

"Yeah, thanks for interrupting me, anyway, I need everything you know about this Adam- no, about the White Fang."

"What? Ruby, I already left one criminal organization, why should I help another?!"

"Consider it rent." The two simply stared at each other.

"Ugh, Fine!" Blake reached for her phone, a new one purchased by the lovely Ruby, and went through her pictures. It was hard to let go of the few pictures she had during her time in the White Fang, while the organization had turned for the worst, the memories of its early life were precious. She dug through countless photos of her and her dear friend, Ilia. She missed the girl immensely, but she could cry about it later. Finally, she found the one picture she had of the man, it was a candid shot of Blake, and Adam just happened to be in the shot.

"Here, my friend took this and managed to catch him."

What happened next was the most surprising thing of the night. Ruby took one look at the photo before she lunged at Blake. The Faunus was pushed against the passenger door as Ruby's forearm pushed on her throat. The redhead was furious, her eyes void of all rational sense.

"Where is he?" Ruby asked.

"I… I…" Blake was scared. Legitimately, totally, extremely frightened. She was pinned and locked in a car by someone who looked ready to slaughter all who got in her way. All to track down Adam. What had he done to her?

"Where. Is. He." Ruby repeated.

"I don't know," Blake let out in a rush panic. "The White Fang has main camp that constantly changes location so defectors and police can't locate it. If Adam isn't out on a mission inside the city then he'd be there."

"Fuck me." Ruby released her hold of Blake and reached for the glove compartment of her car. She pulled out a Kimber Custom II, checked the magazine, and rocked the slide. Ruby also pulled out a holster and strapped in on her thigh, under her skirt. She redid her seat belt and started her car.

"Strap in."

"Where are we going?"

"To Roman."

* * *

"Ruby has to be playing us." Pyrrha and Ren had acted on their plan to tail Ruby. The plan was a simple, follow Ruby as she left the house, and she'd lead them all over Vale. The two didn't know Ruby could drive so fast, she'd zoom down busy streets with reckless abandon, just to stop in some random parking lot, and drive off once again. The two were just too stubborn to admit that Ruby knew they were there from the start.

"Yes. Though, I am curious as to who that woman is." Ren spoke, turning Pyrrha's attention to the girl in black who had left Ruby's house with the redhead.

"True, I've never seen her before. Think she's staying with Ruby? They did leave the house together."

Ren stretched and sighed, he was tired of sitting in Pyrrha's Rimac Concept_One.

"Whatever the case, they seem to get along very well." Ren pointed out. Pyrrha agreed, the two seemed to be newly acquainted but they got along none the less. Was this what Ruby was keeping from them? No, she's been hiding something for years, this seemed to be a new development. So far, they had gained nothing from following their strange friend.

"Woah, what's she doing?" Ren shouted. Pyrrha looked into ruby's car and saw that Ruby was pinning the girl against the door. The look Ruby had sent shivers of fear down the model's spine. Not once had she ever seen Ruby look so vicious.

"My God, she looks ready to kill someone." Pyrrha was floored, visions of the sweet Ruby who never dared hurt anyone clashed against what was currently in front of her. Ren and she both didn't know how to process what was going on. Even as they watch Ruby pull out a handgun and holster. The sound of her engine revving brought them back. With no words shared between them, Pyrrha started the car and followed Ruby out the parking lot and down the street. The fact that is was night and fewer cars were out being the only reason Pyrrha was able to keep up with the girl.

She drove through Vale, drifting corners, cutting through alleyways, all at a top speed of 95 mph. Pyrrha followed Ruby around one last corner, not bothering to keep distance, and parked beside her in front of a warehouse.

"Ruby!" Pyrrha shouted to the girl as they both exited their vehicles.

"Pyrrha, Ren, meet Blake. Blake, meet Pyrrha and Ren. Now all of you get your asses inside and don't say a word."

"Ruby, we-" Ren tried to speak to the girl, but a Kimber in his face silenced him. The three of them stared shocked. Ruby, their friend, was pointing her personal handgun at them, her eyes showing no hesitance.

"You will do as I say, or you will die here." Ruby gave as a final warning. The three shared concerned glances and followed Ruby inside the warehouse.

The inside of the building was far different from the outside. Outside was shitty, run down, and depressing while the inside was air-conditioned, furnished, and well light. It was like walking into an office complex. Men in black suits and red ties ran all around. Some moving boxes, some counting inventory, and some still checking paperwork. Ruby walked past all of them as if they didn't exist. The four of them reached a staircase along the far wall, and Ruby stopped a suited man going down.

"Is Roman in?"

"I'm sorry, I'm not sure Ma'am."

Ruby clicked her tongue in irritation and walked up two steps to kick the man upside the head.

"Get back to work." She told the man, who quickly stood up and rushed off to complete whatever task he had. Blake paid the assault no mind, already used to Ruby's violent outburst, but Pyrrha and Ren weren't sure how to react. Not only had Ruby asked if one of the most dangerous Crime Lords in Vale was around, but attacked a man for no reason. He even referred to her as 'Ma'am,' meaning Ruby held authority here.

They continued down the catwalk, walking past several rooms until they reached a lone door, insolated from the rest. Ruby entered the room without a single knock. Inside the room were two individuals, one with mismatched pink and brown hair, and the other with orange hair and black bowler hat. The room itself seemed to be some office, though it was hard to tell. There was no desk, just couches, a table, and bookshelves. The room felt more like a place to sit and relax rather than work. When the group entered the room, the pink and brown girl rushed Ruby, the two girls hugged one another as if they'd lose each other if they let go. Pyrrha and Ren were becoming more and more confused, while Blake was getting more and more scared. The trio was certainly out of place.

"Sit," Ruby said as she released the girl, everyone in the room followed her command, all except Roman.

"What crawled up your ass, Red?" The man asked, leaning on his cane. To answer his question, Ruby took Blake's phone and showed him the picture of Adam.

"I found him." Ruby's voice was cold, void of emotion, Pyrrha noticed that she was starting to shake.

"Who is this?" Roman took the phone and zoomed in on the picture. In it was the girl in black Ruby had dragged in with her, which Roman didn't really appreciate, and beside her was a man with red hair in a white mask. He wore a long-sleeved suit jacket with a red design on the left shoulder, black pants, and a red undershirt. His face was covered with a white Grimm mask, and horns protruded from his head. Roman had never seen the man, but something about him was familiar.

"The fucker that hurt Neo that night." Ruby's words made everything click. Again, Roman had never seen the man, but he heard the story of Ruby and Neo meeting enough times to know who this man was. He was the filthy Faunus dipshit that hurt his girls. A fire began building inside the crook as he looked towards Ruby and Neo. His mind's eye couldn't help but see them bloodied, bruised, and broken at the hands of this 'Adam.' The famous 'Gentleman Thief of Vale' seethed with rage and threw the amber-eyed girl her phone before he smashed it.

Blake was shocked out of her dumbfounded state by the phone flying towards her. Everything caught up with her at once, the day started out fun, full of laughter and adventure. Now the Faunus stood in a room full of people she didn't know and one of those strangers was Roman Fucking Torchwick. Taking in the state of everyone present, Blake noticed a few interesting details. Pyrrha, another redhead, was the third most familiar figure. She was a model, and that was all Blake knew about her, that and she was good friends with Ruby. It was apparent from the concerned stare and frightened body language that Pyrrha was having about as good a time as Blake.

The boy, Blake remembered being called Ren, seemed calm. He was quiet and his only input since they got there earned him a gun in his face, so Blake wasn't sure how he managed that poker face. Ren's magenta eyes took everyone in the room and the two caught each other's attention. With only a simple rising of their eyebrows to acknowledge each other, they both looked towards the last stranger.

Neopolitan stood at Ruby's side, pink and brown eyes watching her steadily. While Roman and Ruby shook in anger, Neo was concerned only with her rose. The pink and brown woman held Ruby's hand gently stroked her hair out of her face and pulled out her own phone. Everyone paused as the girl typed, Blake, Pyrrha, and Ren in confusion, and Ruby and Roman in recognition of the assassin trying to say something.

 _Let's calm down, I have a lot of questions and so do your friends Ruby._

Ruby read the message and took a deep breath. She squeezed Neo's hand once more before letting go and turning to her friends. The anger and hate she radiated was gone, replaced with regret and embarrassment. The young woman blushed and scratched her cheek in shame.

"I'm really sorry, you guys. It's just…"

Roman placed a hand on the girl's shoulder, drawing the attention of everyone present. He looked Ruby deep in the eyes, a question passing between the two. After a silent conversation, Ruby looked to Neo, and reached for her hand. A deep breath and she returned to gazing at her friends.

"I guess you caught me redhanded," Ruby said to Pyrrha and Ren.

"I owe you guys an explanation."

 **End of Chapter 4**

* * *

 _ **Uh-oh, Ruby lead them right to Roman. That's no good, Ruby, you gotta be more careful.**_

 _ **Anyway, next chapter I plan to be really long. We're gonna learn all kinds of things!**_

 _ **Next time, Ruby tells all, and Yang plans a way to befriend Weiss.**_

 _ **\- Ken**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Welcome to Chapter 5 of**_ **Agents of Beacon!**

 _ **I'm really excited for all of you to read this chapter, the story is moving forward and people are making moves!**_

 ** _I finished writing this and noticed the document was 19 pages long, my average is around 15 pages. I'm also kind of curious how you all respond to my use of real car/gun names? Do you know they? Or do you look them up to better imagine them? Please leave a favorite, and a review telling me what you think of the story!_**

 **Reviews:**

 _ **To the Guest who left a review, thanks! I wasn't sure how people would react to this, I'm glad you like this AU so much!**_

 **ShadowPony12: _Thanks, man, I stressed over them being accurate, I'm really happy to hear they fit so well into this AU. When I thought this AU up, I was just thinking about how RWBY would be in our world. How would Dust work? What about Huntsmen, things like that. That line of thinking seems to have paid off if they fit so well!_**

 ** _That's all from me, please enjoy the chapter!_**

 ** _\- Ken_**

* * *

 **Agents of Beacon**

 **Chapter 5**

 **Three years ago**

Ruby Rose was a beacon of hope for many people. Her optimism was a boon in times of need, helping her friends keep their cool in trying times. Her bright outlook could shine light onto any darken soul. Ruby was a rock in the harsh rapids of life. She had a tendency to reach out and help anyone and everyone. Still, the young girl was shy, and bad at interacting with people. Her silver eyes always shone with a love for adventure and shined even brighter when the girl took part in her favorite pastime. Ruby loved engineering or, more specifically, to build things. If she wasn't out doing her best to make her friends happy, she was in the Xiao Long garage fixing her father's 2013 Lincoln MKZ or building some godforsaken contraption just to see if she could. Being around Ruby was fun, uplifting, and chaotic.

However, unbeknownst to anyone other than the girl herself, Ruby was not the embodiment of innocence or hope as the world thought. The redhead lost her mother at a very young age, which left her lonely and introduced her to the concept of death. Summer Rose was everything for Ruby. The time the two spent together made the girl who she was. Summer taught Ruby the strength of a smile, a friend. She taught her to value the people around her and to always do her best to make sure they were happy. The woman would also spoil Ruby, she would make the most amazing cookies, sing with the most angelic voice, and read Ruby the most fantastical fairy tales. When Summer died, it was as if the world itself grew cold and dark.

Taiyang's cheerful disposition was exchanged for a tired melancholy and a stiff drink. Yang took over household duties, never once allowing herself to show her pain and sometimes following her father down the bottle. The two would fight late into the night, causing Taiyang to slip further down the metaphorical rabbit hole, and Yang to disappear into the night with Bumblebee. The two would cry and make up the next day, but the constant fighting and loss of her mother left Ruby empty.

The girl was only twelve when Summer died, and all she had left was the values she was taught, and the skills she inherited. For two years after Summer's death, things were stagnant. Ruby didn't know what to do for herself. Most of the time she sat alone in her room, crying or sleeping her time away. When she went to school she portrayed the same ditzy bright-eyed girl she used to be, her friends completely ignorant to her inner torment. On weekends she would take walks through the city. The redhead would allow her feet to take her far from her home, the child would get lost time and time again.

It was during one of these walks that Ruby saw her. It had been around a year of sadness for the girl as she walked through the paved road of Vale's park. The air was fresh and smelt of a mixture of flowers, food stands, and sweat from joggers. On one side of the concrete pathway was countless food stalls, all different colors that mixed together. The other side was rich in forestry and plant life. The park boasted an environment rich in all kinds of flora and fauna, even as she walked past numerous strangers Ruby spotted Bellflowers, Cyclamen, Honey Locust, and Blue spruces. Eventually, Ruby came across an ice cream stand, one she visited time and time again with Summer.

As Ruby sat down at the ice cream stand, a basic chocolate ice cream cone in hand, she spotted something unusual. A few tables over was a young woman, she wore a pink and white vest and underneath was a brown corset that showed off her hips. Her black and white boots had heels making her just as tall as Yang at the time. What captivated the redhead was her pink and brown hair and her matching eyes. Their gazes met, the girl's eyes shifting when she blinked, and Ruby blushed again as the stranger smiled seductively at her.

While Ruby was internally freaking out and trying to come to terms with the fact that she might be playing for the other team, the stranger admired the young girl. She could see behind the blush and the hesitant gaze was a sense of dread. Behind the bright silver eyes was a lost soul, looking for salvation. Ruby noticed the stranger had taken a liking to her, considering she was now sitting at the redhead's table. The two conversed casually, Ruby taking a bit to get used to the mute's form of communicating, over ice cream for weeks. They eventually traded numbers, and whenever Ruby felt down she'd text her new friend Neopolitan. For Ruby, it was like some of the light she had lost from Summer Rose's death had come back and for Neo, it was exhilarating to find a new toy. Neo simply wanted to play around with Ruby, maybe gain her trust and bring her home to torture her to death?

Ruby was a prized catch for the sadist assassin, an innocent soul getting its first taste of despair. She couldn't wait to literally rip into her but as the two got closer, the desire to kill her lessened. More and more, Neopolitan found herself excited to see Ruby, worried when the girl would walk home late at night, and happy when she woke up to a good morning text. It was foreign for the both of them, Ruby having no relationship experience, and Neo being a cold, ruthless killer who expressed no emotion. Their relationship progressed steadily for years and evolved again once Ruby turned seventeen, becoming sexual.

It was around this time that another fateful encounter occurred. The redhead was returning home after a day out with her best friend, deciding to take a shortcut she had walked through countless times at this point. The night air turned colder as she stepped through a dirty alleyway, a preamble to the winter months. The light of the shattered moon illuminated Ruby's path and revealed a suspicious masked entourage as she turned a corner.

"Lookie here boys," One of the masked men spoke, Ruby could see animal traits on each individual before her, Faunus in white masks, a dead giveaway to the troublemakers known as the White Fang. Neopolitan had warned Ruby of the chance of running into them in this area of town. While this section of Vale was own by Neo's employer, the White Fang tended to ignore gang territories and causing trouble all around the capital.

The group was made up of four men, and they all took notice of Ruby after the first one, a wolf Faunus, called her out. Immediately, Ruby dropped into a defensive stance. Neo thought it necessary to begin teaching the teen combat techniques in order to defend herself and in case someone with similar intentions as Neo originally had were to come along.

"Well, seems like the little lass wants to put up a fight."

"Seems rather rude don't ya think boys? We didn't even say anything to her," The men laughed, and while they joked with each other in mirth, Ruby discreetly pulled out her cell phone and pressed three on her speed dial. The phone was back in her pocket before the Faunus could even notice her movement. It was then that the situation hit her. Ruby, at the young age of seventeen, was isolated in a dark alleyway in a part of town known for gang activity without her father's knowledge faced with criminals. She was warned that she'd eventually be in this predicament, though she thought she'd be more scared.

Ruby felt strangely calm. Was it because she had already contacted help? Perhaps it was the lack of hostility from the laughing men? A part of her thought it was her training, but she quickly came to the conclusion that it wasn't any of those things. No, it was a strange sense she was getting. A keen instinct telling her that she had no need to be afraid of the danger in front of her.

Because something far worse was coming.

Ruby internally jumped at the realization and looked up to see the four men unconscious on the group. In the middle of them was Neopolitan, her umbrella spinning casually in her hand. She looked at Ruby with an inquisitive stare but shifted her weight as she felt the same instinct Ruby did. The assassin leaped, landing in front of the redhead in a guarded stance, and looked towards where she once stood.

When someone felt a danger approaching usually fear would set in. Their fight or flight response would activate, and they'd either flee or attack. However, for the two women in the alleyway, it wasn't anything like that. It was more of an elegant dread. As a figure in all black and a white mask calmly stepped forward, they were amazed by its cold aura. No words were exchanged as the three of them locked eyes. The figured was revealed to a male, a sheathed katana in his right hand, and a sense of hatred radiating off him.

Maybe Neo, the professional killer she was, could better process what happened next, but for Ruby, all she knew was that Neo was yards behind her, covered in cuts and bruises, possibly unconscious. The young girl turned back to the man and was met with the tip of his blade inches in front of her eyes. She couldn't see his eyes, couldn't tell what he was thinking, couldn't tell what he was feeling, so it wasn't too shocking when the men simply sheathed his blade and turned to walk off.

Afterward was a blur in the crimsonette's memory. She rushed to Neo's side to find the woman barely aware. After being given an address, Ruby carried her dear friend to a warehouse where she was greeted by more men in suits and directed upstairs to an office. With a knock, the person inside rushed over and opened the door so hard the glass broke. The man with orange hair interrogated her and thanked her for bringing Neo to him. She was told to leave, but Ruby was resolute in staying be Neo's side.

As Ruby sat by Neo's bedside she thought back to the man who hurt her. His aura was cold and calm, fierce yet sincere. He had made to make the two aware of him and his strength, calm yet powerless. It was the second time Ruby had felt powerless, the first being her mother's death. The event played again and again in her mind, the calm terror, the quickness in which Neo was utterly defeated, the helplessness as she could do nothing but watch. It flashed on loop and before long as she could see was the masked face of their assailant. Ruby shook, but no longer with fear.

This time it was anger.

It was then that Ruby vowed to kill him.

* * *

 **Three years later**

"After that, I manage to convince Roman to take me under his wing. Now, here we are."

Ruby finished retelling her story and gestured vaguely to the room around them. The group that consisted of the aforementioned redhead, Blake, Pyrrha, Ren, as well as the Crime Lord Torchwick and the assassin Neopolitan sat inside Roman's office. After Neo got her fellow criminals to calm down, Ruby insisted on informing her friends of her story.

"That's…" Ren began, he wasn't sure what he was trying to say and looked to Blake and Pyrrha for assistance. The model was no help, and Blake seemed to be deep in thought. Ren sighed and gave up on trying to say anything. Roman was the one to speak next, sitting by his lonesome in a love seat. "Great, story times over, now can we get these kids outta here, Red?"

Roman was rudely ignored by Ruby, the crimsonette busy reading her friends expressions. Pyrrha took it the worst of the three. The model was fit, well trained in martial arts, and even practiced her stance every day, but she despised violence. The woman was far from a pacifist, there was a reason for her training after all. Being a model was a rough job, always worried about your looks or weight. Having to watch what you say and who you say it to, always caked in makeup, and never valued for who you are. That kind of job wasn't worth the negative sides at all to Ruby, especially with the biggest pain in the ass, stalkers.

On a nearly weekly basis, Pyrrha Nikos had to defend herself against the bravest, or more rather the stupidest, individuals who decided she belonged to them. Every day the average joe you passed while walking down the street was now a huge potential danger. The cashier at any store could follow you and attack when you're alone. The taxi driver could take you far from home. The pizza delivery man could break down your door. It was hard, it was stressful, and if Pyrrha couldn't defend herself there's a good chance she'd be dead already. Luckily, Ruby had some goons near her at all times, and they already saved her from danger countless times.

That didn't stop the model from relating to Ruby's story though, having been caught trying to avoid people by going through alleys before. Her face was dark and eyes distant, she understood that feeling of helplessness and it was the last thing she wanted to see her little Ruby go through. Ruby's heart ached as she watched Pyrrha be consumed by her own negative thoughts. Without much consideration of anyone else, Ruby stood in front of Pyrrha and stroke the top of her head. The model unconsciously leaned forward in the redhead's embrace, her face in her torso.

"It's okay, Pyrrha, I'm okay," Ruby reassured her dear friend, who's only response was to grab the front of Ruby's shirt and let out a shaky breath. Ruby took the time to move on to her other friends. Ren seemed to take it the best, his face was its usual stoic neutral state, but Ruby knew better. Ren had tells, plenty of them if you paid attention, and Ruby spotted multiple of them. His nails dug deep into his knees, eyes clouded with a slight sheen from holding back tears of frustration, and the most telling of all, Ruby could see him biting the inside of his cheek.

The man was thinking of Nora. Ruby and her fellow energetic redhead tended to get deeply involved with each other's problems. If Ruby was planning to rob a bank, then Nora was there planning escape routes, and acquiring firearms. If Nora was hurt, it was Ruby that came to make the assailant pay dearly for their crimes. Honestly, once Ruby began working with Roman, she wanted Nora there by her side. Nora was very protective of Ruby, however, and that was one of the main reason Ruby wouldn't dare bring her here. Ruby got hurt plenty of times on the job, it was bound to happen, but if Nora knew, she'd destroy the entire Vale underground crime network getting revenge, leading to everyone gunning for her. Ren knew that, and he played out every possibility in his head, all ending with her beloved being severely hurt.

Ruby didn't know how to comfort the man, he was right, after all, Nora would destroy the world, literally, for her friends. All she could do was wordlessly pity the man, but that seemed to the job since Ren calmed down and simply began to mediate in his spot on Roman's couch. A clear sign that he would add nothing to any further discussion. That left Blake, who was deep in thought ever since Ruby finished her recital of the past.

Still holding the shaking model in her arms, Ruby inquired what had Blake so contemplative. The Faunus seemed hesitant to answer, most likely apprehensive since the last thing she said on the subject earned her a pinning against a car door.

"I just... Ugh, It's just that I know Adam, I have for years now, and I know what he's become." She paused, looking at each individual in the room. She seemed to be choosing her words carefully. "Every since we came here to Vale, he's changed. Gotten more ruthless. Gotten… stronger. That calmness you mentioned is a talent of his. He's a natural born leader. Not only that, but he has very _very_ loyal subordinates." Concerned amber met determined silver. "Do you really plan to kill him?"

Ruby sighed, Pyrrha tightened her grip, Ren didn't move. The crimsonette turned to her other companions, Roman had put his feet up on the arm of his chair and looked exorbitantly bored. Neopolitan seemed to be keeping herself occupied with a game on her phone, but she looked up and gave Ruby a gentle smile.

"Hell yeah, I am," Ruby said, not breaking eye contact with Neo, "I'm gonna rip him to shreds."

"But why?" The voice came from Pyrrha, it was shaky and full of trepidation. "From y-y-your story, it seems he left you alone, I mean sure, he hurt N-neopolitan, but she's fine now, right? P-plus, it's been three years… Why do you hate him so much?"

Pyrrha looked Ruby deep in her eyes, the two shared a wordless conversation. Pyrrha begging Ruby to not pursue someone so dangerous. Ruby wanted to find a way to comfort her, but also convince her that she had to do this. Before she could speak, however, Ren surprised her by breaking his own concentration, something the man never did when he was meditating.

"It's the feeling of helplessness," Ren spoke to Pyrrha. "Something I'm sure you relate to. Ruby has faced that feeling twice now, with her mother's death and with Adam's attack. Like you, Pyrrha, she decided to improve her combat abilities in order to not feel helpless again. However, unlike you, she turned the fear and sadness that comes with it and turned it into hatred. Ruby cannot move on until the root of the hatred, which she has unconsciously deemed to be this Adam character, is gone. By her hand."

Ren looked deep into Ruby's eyes, "There is no stopping you, Ruby, I can tell. So, the only thing to do in order to best keep you safe," He then turned to Blake and Pyrrha, "is to help."

At this, Torchwick perked up. Was this man offering his services to him? Roman looked the three over. The girls were extremely attractive, they'd be able to seduce damn near anyone and get the gentleman thief all kinds of juicy tidbits. The man had a slender face, with a little makeup and dressing up he could likely hit that little niche market. Roman was a Crime Head of Vale. That title was not to be taken lightly. There was five of them in total, and they all specialized in a different form of crime that made up the pillars of Vale's underbelly. There were drugs, of course. That was the big money maker in the city, with everyone dipping their hand in the pot. However, Cinder Fall, the Crime Head of Drug Manufacturing, Trafficking, and Dealing was the main player in that game. If a drug existed in Vale, it was made, distributed, and sold by Cinder. If anyone else was selling them, they bought it off of her.

Next, there was hosting and escorting. Now, the act of selling sex was the second biggest criminal activity in Vale. People seemed to not get enough of it, and Roman was very pleased to be the Crime Head of Hosting, Escorting, and Information. While one of those may seem out of place, there was truly no better way to get info than getting someone drunk and horny. While Roman had Ruby and Neo for very special persons of interest like he had done with Cinder, he also had numerous clubs and what were basically brothels all throughout Vale. Although he still had to have cleaner businesses, he didn't really have to hide what he did, making him the most well known of the Crime Heads.

As Torchwick continued to eyeball Ruby's friends, the crimsonette herself contemplated Ren's words. While she didn't know how exactly they could help, having them supporting her would be much better than keeping them in the dark. Pyrrha and Blake seemed as though they needed more convincing, but Ren was all for it. Prior to any further conversation, a knock on the door echoed through the office.

"Enter!" Roman yelled, and the door opened to reveal two figures, one was a goon, the other was Cinder Fall.

"Cinder!" Ruby excitedly called out, surprising all but the woman herself. Cinder braced herself as Ruby released Pyrrha in order to rush and tackle Cinder in a hug. Roman had never seen either of the women smile as genuinely as they were now, and he chuckled to himself. Ruby was doing a fantastic job on her assignment, though she may crash at the end of it.

"Hello, Little Rose," Ren and Pyrrha shared a look at the nickname, they knew that was the same thing Ruby's mother called her, and she rarely let anyone else use it. The two then noticed that their new companion, Blake, seemed to recognize the woman known as Cinder. Ruby released the ashen-maiden, who then took in the rest of the room. The woman seemed to know Blake as well, and a harsh glare caused the Faunus to avert her gaze. Ren and Pyrrha were glanced over for a similarly sharp look at Neopolitan. Lastly, Cinder and Roman shared polite smiles, recognition of their shared status.

"Roman, I've come to speak business with you."

"Ah, alright then, Ruby, take these kiddies home would ya?"

"No," Cinder turned to Ruby with an affection stroke on her cheek, the two shared a smile before Cinder turned back. "She should stay, I have a request for her."

The goon who had knocked on the door wordlessly led Blake, Ren, and Pyrrha out of the door after Ruby bid them farewell. The trio stood in front of Pyrrha's Rimac and conversed lightly after sharing their exasperation at what had just transpired. Ren inquired on how Blake knew Ruby, all she gave was that she was living at the Xiao Long household. Blake learned that Ren was a professional therapist, and silently considered having a sit down with him. Not as a client, but just to talk to someone who knew a thing or two about psychology. Pyrrha was a fellow swordswoman, though Blake's Gambol Shroud wasn't a traditional sword, being able to transform into a sickle-and-chain type weapon. Pyrrha used the traditional Gladiatorial style sword and shield, as well as a lance, though she's never actually used either in combat. They both agreed that they should spar at some point in the future, the trio finally set out to return home for the night.

* * *

The ride home was laced with a comfortable silence, and Pyrrha exchanged numbers with Blake so she could meet Jaune and Nora at a later date. When Blake entered the home, she was surprised to see Qrow there, along with Taiyang.

"Hey, where's Rubbes?" The blonde man asked.

"Oh, she uhh…" Blake stumbled over her words, unsure on what to say. "She had to go into work, I hung out with Pyrrha and Ren for a bit. They just dropped me off." She told them. Blake hoped the extra information would cause the men to not ask any more questions, and she subtly breathed a sigh of relief when they didn't.

"What are you doing here, Qrow?" Blake asked the man as she sat down and picked up a book that had been left in the seat. She inspected the title and decided to start reading, both men used to the girl having her face in a book during conversation.

"I came to talk to you about that job offer, but I wanna wait for Ruby."

Blake simple grunted in response, pretending to be fully engrossed in her book. The truth, however, was that the words never even entered her brain. She was too focused on what just transpired in Roman's warehouse.

Ruby Rose, the sweet girl who attacked her when they first met but quickly helped the Faunus grow comfortable in her new environment was a criminal. Not just any kind of criminal, either. She was the direct subordinate of Roman fucking Torchwick. While it wasn't discussed, Blake knew what Ruby's responsibilities were. As Roman's subordinate, Ruby was a bodyguard, assassin, escort, and paper pusher. The redhead most likely spent most of her time at Roman's side, along with Neopolitan. If she wasn't there, she was using her body to get information out of politicians, other criminals, and even celebrities. Blake could imagine that the girl was also a killer of some kind, considering that Ruby was way faster than the Faunus could track even with her heightened senses from both being a Faunus and having an Aura.

Speaking of heightened senses, Blake's ear twitched as Qrow's phone discreetly vibrated, breaking her out of her inner thoughts. The man walked off, saying something about work, and excused himself. Taiyang left as well, though Blake was too focused on Qrow to hear why. Now, the Faunus was alone in the living room. She was honestly curious about the old drunkard and now was a wonderful opportunity to learn what he did. Blake placed down her book. It was time to test out her semblance.

Blake's Semblance, Shadow, allowed her to create a clone of herself and have it take the force of an attack for her. But that wasn't the limit. When Blake was creating a clone, she was actually creating a shadow. Since she was manipulating shadows, she should be able to do a lot more. _It's nice having time to yourself with nothing to do, it leads to fun, new ideas_ the girl thought. With a deep sigh, Blake focused and began to feel her Semblance activate. The Shadows in the room began to slightly stir and quiver. Soon, small tendrils slowly sprouted out from them, making their way towards Blake. Before long, the shadows covered Blake from head to toe.

The Faunus was gone.

* * *

"Qrow here." a voice announced from the computer screen in front of the man in a black suit with a olive green collar protruding from underneath. The man sat in a large, mostly empty, circular office in an unknown building somewhere in Vale. Behind him was a large window in place of a fourth wall, giving him a beautiful view of all of Vale. The flooring and ceiling of the office were translucent, revealing complicated gear systems. The far wall held two elevator doors, and the only furniture in the room was the while desk.

"Director? Hello?" Qrow's face could be seen on the monitor as he called out once more. The man turned his wheeled chair around, his grey hair and brown eyes on full display. The man gave the screen a cocky smirk, his glasses shifting slightly.

"I'm here, Qrow, I called because you're at Tai's, I believe, I was curious about our prospects."

"I haven't gotten the chance to talk to em yet, Rubbes is still out, and our little kitten immediately dived into a book when she got home." The man just chuckled in response, giving Qrow the impression he knew something, just like always.

"It's no matter, I have others out in the town, so you should be fine waiting on Ruby."

"Alright, Oz, I'll report back once Ru-"

 _From shadows, we'll re-_

Ozpin and Qrow stared blankly at each other as a song and a smell 'eep' broke out of the shadows behind Qrow. Ozpin's face scrunched as he childishly giggled at the Faunus' blunder, and Qrow turned towards the girl as she stepped out with her face flushed with embarrassment. The men gave Blake pleasant smiles to reassure her.

"What are you doing sneaking around like that?" Qrow asked her with a laugh.

"I just wanted to experiment with my Semblance," She responded after a moment. This caught Ozpin's curiosity. His eyes began to shine, and he leaned forward to rest his elbows on the desk.

"Hello, Blake, I am Director Ozpin, Qrow's employer." The man paused to allow Blake to introduce herself. "From what I understand, your Semblance is to create a clone of yourself. Please, explain what you meant about 'experimenting' with it."

Blake was slightly surprised that Ozpin knew the details of her semblance, but recalled Qrow telling her of the man's ability to seemingly know everything.

"My Semblance is 'Shadow,' not 'Clone,' Mr. Ozpin."

"Call him 'Oz,'" Qrow said.

Blake looked the drunkard in the eye, she seemed to not trust him and her playful smirk was the only thing indicating that is wasn't a genuine distrust. Ozpin paid them no mind, however, as he was still interested in the Faunus' new abilities. He knew from experience that Semblances tended to be more than what they first seemed, and always enjoyed learning what his Agents were capable of. Although, Blake wasn't an Agent just yet.

"My Semblance is more akin to Shadow Manipulation… Oz," Blake tested the nickname, deciding she didn't like it. Then her eyes lit as if she had just realised something. She scanned her surroundings as if just noticing they were on the porch of the Xiao Long residence. She frowned at the suburban neighborhood around them, and dragged Qrow back into the house. She sighed, thankful that Taiyang was still gone, and turned back to the phone. Ozpin watched the computer screen in anticipation of what the girl was planning.

"So, I've never done this before, but…" The girl stopped, and presented her hand so that both Qrow and Ozpin could she her palm clearly. With a deep breath and a playful shimmer of her Aura, she focused immensely on her palm. For several moments, the three stared at the Faunus' hand. Qrow looked at the others, wondering what was supposed to happen, and Ozpin gestured for the man to be more patient. As he looked back to Blake, he noticed in the background of the area shown on his screen that the shadows began to quake and quiver. Tendrils shifted and extended from even the slightest of shadows in the room, all making their way to the space above Blake's palm. They came together in her hand, and pressed into one tightly. The tendrils formed a small shadowy black orb in Blake's hand, and Qrow and Ozpin stared wide-eyed at the orb. With a flick of her wrist and a clenching of her fist, the orb dissipated.

"Woah," Qrow let out, the drunkard's amazement made Blake fill with pride. Ozpin was genuinely impressed by the girl's demonstration, especially since it was her first time experimenting with her Semblance like this. Blake displayed talent, or was it just stemming from control over her Semblance mixed with her prior combat experience?

 _From shadows, we'll reclaim-_

The ringtone let out once again, surprising all of them. This time however, Blake answered. Qrow gestured for her to put it on speaker, and while she was hesitant, she complied with little resistance.

"Hey, Ruby." Blake spoke into the phone. Ruby's voice came out sharp and anger on the other side.

" _Blake, next time I call you and you don't fucking answer I'll kick your ass"_

Ruby's rough language shocked Qrow and Ozpin, but Blake took it in stride.

"I'm sorry, Ruby, it won't happen again."

" _Yeah, it better fucking not. Anyway, I called to let you know I won't be coming home tonight. Let dad know for me."_

"Yeah, sure, but why don't you tell him?"

" _If you couldn't tell, I kinda in a pissy mood. I really don't wanna curse my dad out if he asks too many questions."_

"Alright, I understand. Is there anything else I can do to help?" At this Ruby paused. Ozpin watched through his screen as Blake eyed Qrow and him. He found it curious how dominant Ruby was in their budding relationship, he was sure the Rose was friendly and shy.

" _Put me on speaker"_

"You've been on speaker." Ruby clicked her tongue in annoyance.

" _When I get home we're sparring with you blindfolded and hands tied behind your back, Blake. You should always tell me shit like that, do you understand me."_

Blake recoiled from the promise, "Yes, Ruby."

" _Anyway,"_ Ruby continued, " _I believe this is our first meeting, Ozpin."_

* * *

Yang's room in the Schnee manor was large and mostly empty. The bed was the largest and softest the girl had ever seen. The floor was a shiny blue, and the furniture was a deeper shade of the same color. The large window on the far wall advertised a snow-covered forest and had a outcrop to sit at, which is where the blonde hunter sat now admiring the very early Atlas morning. Yang had been hired as Weiss' bodyguard around three weeks now, and she had made zero progress on befriending the girl. The girl was a real Ice Queen, and while Yang thought she was making some headway by joining the girl in her workout routine, any other time and Weiss barely spoke to her.

Yang thought back to the family painting she saw the first day she got to the manor. While it revealed Weiss' isolation, it didn't tell of her past experiences and current feelings. Yang knew Weiss was simply a product of her environment, but that didn't mean she could just approach the girl and say 'I know you're just mean because you're lonely, let's be friends.' Maybe Yang was going about this the wrong way. Her intentions may be pure, but Weiss had to want to be friends with her as well. Yang thought back to her past attempts at friendship with the girl.

On the first week, Yang simply tried talking to Weiss, but after telling the heiress about her new position the two couldn't hold a conversation. Yang would try her best to learn about Weiss, but to this day she still knew very little. What she did learn was taught to her by her new job. Being the Schnee's bodyguard was actually rather tame most of the time. Weiss would go out almost regularly to sing at events, partake in soirees, or promote new SDC products. In fact, it was like Weiss was the face for the Schnee Dust Company, even though her father was still in charge. The two were out yesterday, talking to a audience of investors about a new type of Dust the company was working on. Though Yang didn't listen at all.

The buxom brawler was always extremely bored when out with Weiss. The concerts were nice, Weiss' voice was powerful, smooth, and had a wide range. The songs she would sing all had a theme of isolation and self doubt. Yang noticed that most people just chalked it up to angst, refusing to believe a Schnee could ever have any problems. Especially something like loneliness. It infuriated Yang, she could tell that Weiss put her everything into her singing. The heiress even wrote her own songs. To shrug it off like that was like denying the girl the right to have feelings. Yang let out a deep breath to calm herself. She could safely say that the concerts were the least boring of anything the heiress did.

The parties were definitely the most mundane. When Yang envisioned high societal parties, she thought of heavy drug usage and orgies. It was probably a stereotype, but Yang always thought the rich would snort cocaine off a hooker's back before fucking them. Hell, if that was the case maybe Yang could have some fun, but instead the so called 'parties' were just a bunch of old farts in a dick measuring contest. They would compare how much money they made, how pretty their wives were, and who they knew. Yang hated that, but once again she hated how Weiss was treated even more.

Weiss had few friends. There were other heiresses that got along with the Schnee, but they all played the same game their parents did. Let anything slip and it'll be held over your head forever, any bad rumor was used to destroy your reputation, if you didn't conform to what the 'leader' of the cliche wanted or liked, then you were ostracized. Weiss wasn't one to play by those rules, she was always herself. While Yang thought that was admirable, it limited her friendships to the few like-minded individuals and those who simply wanted to keep tabs on her.

That meant the parties they went to were just for Weiss to meet and talk with suitors. Every party held in a ballroom, private mansion, and even this very manor was filled with men who didn't give a damn about Weiss trying to impress her in order to marry into the Schnee family. Constantly, Weiss was bombard in superficial gifts, shallow compliments, and horrendous attempts at flirting. Yang also noticed that when Weiss would say pour a drink on a rude suitor, which happened a lot, she'd be sent to sit in her room. Then, late into the night when the party was over, the very same suitor would saunter towards her room to 'check on her.'

The blonde began to drum her fingers against the window in annoyance. The whole thing had a real rapey vibe to it. Her father sent the men knowing the only thing they'd be thinking would be taking the heiress to bed. Papa Schnee allowed shit like that to win favor with the suitors, therefore earning the favor of their fathers. Yang took another breath, deeper than her earlier one, to calm herself once more. The bounty hunter really thought the stress of this job would come from keeping Weiss safe, not from watching her daily life.

There was a time, nevertheless, where Weiss was recognized, and truly in her element. When she was playing her role as the face of the Schnee Dust Company. The events themselves were boring for Yang, but it was enjoyable to watch Weiss work. She would study the product itself, often involved in everything from it's conception to testing. Then, the heiress would write out a speech, proofreading and editing it for days. Weiss would work on organizing the display, food, lighting, everything in the event. She'd call her assistants constantly, refusing for anything to be off schedule, or missing. Yang could tell the girl was proud of her work, and was a perfectionist.

When the time came for the event to happen, Weiss would bounce with excitement. Nothing obvious, of course, she had to keep up appearances, but Yang noticed her tells. Weiss would pace, which some mistook for nerves, she'd check everything twice over, and her biggest tell was when she rubbed her hands together. Yang ceased her drumming, a slight smile on her face at remembering the last Schnee showcase they held the day before. The days prior Weiss struggled deciding what to wear, they went shopping multiple times trying to find the right dress. The heiress had decided on a thigh length strapless dress with a color gradient from white to blue. Over that was a bell-sleeved bolero jacket of a matching color. The outfit was completed by white heeled boots.

Yang watched Weiss on stage as she talked about the newest Schnee product, which Yang honestly didn't care about. The average person couldn't use Dust, it was mainly a source of energy for large forms of transportation and military weaponry. There were rumors that the Atlas military had a unit of people who could make use of Dust in a physical manner, whatever that meant. Since Yang couldn't use it, she didn't' pay much attention to the product itself. But she did watch Weiss. She watched the way the heiress would walk back and forth across the stage to keep the investors' attention, the way she'd emphasize her words with gestures, and how she met all questions and critiques with grace.

Weiss was an amazing person in her own way, it was a shame Yang didn't know how to befriend her. After the first week, she had manage to join the heiress in her workout routine, but that's all the progress she had made. With a sigh, she gave up and decided to finally ask for advice from the one person who'd hate to hear of her current predicament. The bounty hunter pulled out her phone and scrolled through her contacts, once she found who she meant to call, she brought the phone to her ear knowing that it was around nighttime in Vale. The phone automatically called the number. After four rings they answered.

" _Hey there, how's my Fiery Little Sun Dragon?"_ Taiyang's voice could be heard on the line.

"Hey, Dad, I'm good. How bout you, and Rubbes?" Yang responded.

"I'm great, works been easy on me. Ruby though… I don't really know. She's been really keeping to herself lately. Oh, but she' made a new friend!" Tai's voice seemed to sadden slightly when he first began talking about Ruby, which was par for the course. However, he brightened once he mentioned this 'new friend' of Ruby's.

"Really, who's this new friend?" Yang said.

"Well, ya see, your Uncle Qrow had us take in this girl. Her name's Blake. I don't know too much about her, but since it was Qrow asking I figured they both had good reasons and let her stay. Ruby and Blake seemed to butt heads at first, but now they get along really well!"

"Huh," Yang began, she was surprised her shy ball of positivity of a little sister could but head with anybody. "Has Blake meet Pyr and them?"

"Yeah, she actually just got back from spending time with them, apparently Ruby had to 'go into work' again." Yang huffed. For the last three years, Ruby's been spouting shit about working. From what she heard from Nora and her father, Ruby had also beefed up slightly and was a hell of a fighter. Though the thought of Ruby fighting just seemed impossible.

"Didya ever figure out what that shit is, Dad?" Yang asked.

Taiyang huffed as well, "No, no idea. But Jaune told me Pyrrha and Ren were trying to find out. They were following her today, but considering Ruby was with Blake, who ended up hanging out with Pyrrha and Ren, it's safe to say they were caught. Maybe they know?"

"If they do, that means Jaune and Nora know too, I'll ask one of them later." Yang cleared her throat, might as well get this over with. "Anyway, Dad, I called cuz I gotta ask ya something."

"What is it, Yang?"

Welp, here goes.

"I got a job!" Yang delayed, she had to explain the circumstances after all.

"Not bounty hunting anymore?"

"Oh, no, I mean, I haven't even thought of that. But, uh, about my job, you, uh, you might not like it."

Taiyang didn't respond, he knew he had to let Yang just spill the beans. If he said anything she'd back pedal.

"I'm.. uh… I'm Weiss Schnee's bodyguard." Yang cringed, waiting for whatever her father was going to say.

"Explain." Taiyang said. Yang wasted no time explaining everything, from the highway chase, to the painting, meeting Papa Jac, and failing to befriend Weiss. The twenty-two year old was ready for her father to yell at her, but to her surprise, he simply chuckled.

"You've been really watching this girl, huh?" At that, Yang blushed. Her sexuality was no secret to her father, he knew she played both sides and he teased her on her entirely wholesome attempts to get closer to Weiss. She could only laugh, her father was entirely too laid back to get mad at her for getting involved with Weiss in order to save her.

"Jeez Dad, my intentions are totally pure," They both shared another laugh followed by a comfortable silence.

"Listen, Yang," Taiyang began. "I can't give you advice that's guaranteed to work, but how about you try giving that little heiress a change of pace?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean you drag her out and show her a good time. It sounds like her life is full of stress, even if you guys don't become friends, I'm sure she'd appreciate a break."

Yang considered the man's words. True, Weiss was basically a workaholic, and never took breaks for anything. Everyday it was either planning for or attending a concert, party, or showcase. Yang couldn't find out any of Weiss' hobbies or interests because the girl had none.

Weiss only had the Schnee Dust Company.

* * *

OH MY LORD, DAD, YOU'RE RIGHT

The words echoed throughout the entirety of the Schnee Manor, bothering everyone from the maids to Jacques Schnee. Weiss Schnee, the heiress to the SDC, was the most bothered though since her room was right across the hall from the source of the noise. Weiss massaged her temples in exasperation at Yang's antics. She sat in a chair by her window in a room of similar structure to Yang's. Her view outside the window was that of the capital of Atlas, Mantle, named for the fallen Kingdom that was Atlas' predecessor. The early morning sun bounced lightly off of every building in sight, the white brick of each building seemed brighter thanks to the UV rays. A light blanket of snow covered the city, having came down during the night. The frigid temperature of the Kingdom kept the snow present in the face of the burning sun.

Weiss thought the landscape presented a feeling of stubborness. Citizens could be seen stubbornly opening shop in the early morning hours even though the air was bitingly cold. Cars stubbornly sped down the street as if the roads weren't slick from last night's snowfall. The sun stubbornly continued to bare down on everything, and the snow stubbornly sticked to the ground, refusing to melt. For a Kingdom in the north and prone to cold temperatures, Atlas didn't get a lot of snow. So, when snow did fall, everyone stubbornly continued with their routines. Weiss was one of those people.

"Shall I go see what Ms. Xiao Long was screaming about, Ms. Schnee?" Klein, her large, mustached butler called out. He had brought Weiss her daily cup of coffee to her, already prepared how she liked it, cream and five sugars. He was at the door when Yang shouted, and he had turned back to Weiss to ask his question.

"No, I'm sure the brute will be fine." Weiss said dismissively. She stubbornly refused to bother with her bodyguard, she was nothing but a thorn in her side. Constantly, she would try and speak to the heiress as if they were friends. The blonde didn't care for any activites Weiss partook in, besides excerise and firing practice. Weiss still couldn't fathom why her father had hired the brute as her bodyguard. Before Weiss could take a another sip of her coffee and before Klein could finish stepping out of the room, Yang barged in.

"GET DRESSED ICE QUEEN!"

"What on Remnant are you screaming about?!" Weiss shouted back at the blonde.

Yang proceeded to rush over to Weiss' closet, digging through all of her clothings, trying to find something casual and warm for the heiress to wear. Weiss was quick to follow Yang into the walk-in closet, shouting at her.

"What are you doing, you simpleton?!"

"Weiss!" Yang stopped digging through the heiress' belongings to stare her in the eyes.

"We're going on a date!"

 **End of Chapter 5**

* * *

 _ **And that's the end to another chapter! Oh, gosh, how does Ruby know about Oz? Blake's little showcase was pretty cool, and wherein Remnant is Yang planning on dragging Weiss?**_

 _ **Next time, things go wrong.**_

 _ **\- Ken**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Welcome to Chapter 6 of**_ **Agents of Beacon! _I honestly didn't expect to finish this chapter so face, but before I knew it, I had reached my desired stopping point. I contemplated continuing on, maybe adding a scene from Jaune's POV, but I decided against it. I don't wanna mess with my own pacing just because I finished quickly._**

 ** _In other news, I may be getting a full-time job soon. It shouldn't hinder chapter's since I usually only write on weekends anyway, with this chapter being the exception. I really enjoyed writing this chapter, and I hope some of the developments within interest you all._**

 **Reviews:**

 **therandompers: _I appreciate your interest, tbh the pairings I had in mine were Ladybug and Freexerburn, but those aren't set in stone. I plan to let people meet, and development naturally through my story. If I notice two people hitting it off, maybe I'll try and turn it into something. Ruby and Neo are really close, and we'll get a clearcut defining of their relationship soon._**

 ** _Well, that's all the reviews I got last chapter. If you have any thoughts, inquiries, opinions, or critics, please leave a review so I can respond to you. Don't forget to favorite and follow!_**

 ** _Enjoy chapter 6_**

 ** _\- Ken_**

* * *

 **Agents of Beacon**

 **Chapter 6**

After seeing Ruby's friends off, Cinder informed Roman of the new developments in their partnership. He took the news relatively well, much better than Neopolitan and Ruby. Cinder had managed to work out a sort of alliance with the White Fang, allowing her to move forward with her assignment. She needed the White Fang to work with her partner's own subordinates, and she especially needed Ruby to work with her. However, all she had done was anger the crimsonette. Ruby was vehemently against working with the White Fang, specifically Adam Taurus, the leader of the Vale Branch. Cinder hadn't known about Ruby's grudge, and surprisingly she felt a little bad about doing this to the girl. Cinder knew she'd get over it though.

Now, Cinder was home in her manor, walking through the halls by her lonesome. The tan walls were decorated with famous paintings like the Mona Lisa, both replicas and originals lined the walls. The carpet was a blood red, Cinder's favorite color. Her heels clicked softly as she proceeded down carpeted steps to a room on the basement level of the manor. The room wasn't known to the servants in the manor, and while Emerald and Mercury knew of it, they weren't allowed in. When she reached the metal door locked with a keypad and hand scanner, she checked behind her to make sure no nosy individuals followed her.

She unlocked the door and went into the room, the door closing behind her automatically. The room was near pitch black, the only light coming from a lone computer screen by the far wall. Cinder approached the computer, admiring the cages built into all four walls. On the screen was a stylish W that was slowly spinning.

"How's the development of the drug, Arthur?" Cinder spoke to the computer.

" _Please refer to me as_ Doctor _, Ms. Fall. And it's proceeding on schedule, would you like to test it?_ " The computer responded. She giggled excitedly, it was really hard to do this job and not form some sadistic tendencies.

"I'd love to, _Doctor"_ After she responded, a container opened somewhere to her right. She noticed that it was a type of crate, and many of them were scattered throughout the room. "I didn't know you had already sent this month's supply." Cinder said, her happy tone dissipated slightly for not being in the loop.

" _I simply like to be ahead of schedule."_ The computer replied. With a huff, Cinder approached the box and took out its contents. It seemed to be an ordinary baggie of cocaine, but Cinder knew better. The woman poured the content onto a glass tray, using a credit card to separate it into thin lines. She brought the lines of coke to one of the cages.

"Here you are, Sweetie," She called out to the captive. A young woman, seeming to be around twenty-four, timidly approached the thick glass wall. Cinder slid the drug through a small slit at the bottom of the cage. As the girl drew closer her features could be seen. Her short black hair was tangled and dirty, her arms covered in bruises from syringes, legs covered in marks from scratching herself, and her nails were dull from biting. Most striking of all were her eyes, they were no longer human. Inky black veins reached across her temples, and her irises were the same pitch black. Her pupils retained their brown color, showing that she wasn't fully gone.

The woman pounced the lines of coke, snorting them up eagerly. She tilted her head back, enjoying the effects of the drug. Cinder stepped back, ready for the spectacle about to occur. Moments passed, the woman fully enjoying the feeling of elation that cocaine caused. However, she wasn't able to fully enjoy the effects as her body began to convulse. Pain ran all through her body as she began scratching at her torse. Her vision blurred as tears ran down her cheeks and she cried out in agony. Her skin tore, revealing black fur. Her bones broke through, forming into plates, spikes, and a type of faceplate with red markings. The petite woman grew tenfold, teeth turned sharper, nailed formed into claws, she screamed but this time it was more of a bestial roar.

"Amazing," Cinder was struck in awe. "She turned into an Ursa!"

" _Yes,"_ the computer chuckled, " _Before we could only turn them into Creeps, but we've already reached Ursas, Lancers, and Beowolves. I've begun production on turning them into Beringels."_

Cinder smiled as she admired the Ursa. Things were progressing smoothly.

* * *

"Anyway," Ruby continued, "I believe this is our first meeting, Ozpin."

Ozpin watched as Blake and Qrow jumped at the voice coming from both phones. Then, he looked up to see Ruby Rose standing in front of the closing elevator door. She smiled towards the man, who was far from surprised to see her. She wore a long-sleeved, light gray shirt with black cuffs. Over that was a black pinafore with two vertical lines of red stitching resembling the lacing on a corset. Her legs were covered by a red skirt and black leggings, the outfit was finished by a pair of black combat boots. Ruby made her way across the room, standing next to Ozpin for Qrow and Blake to see her. Now that Ruby could see Blake, she felt horrible for yelling at her, and she gave the Faunus an apologetic smile. Blake returned the look before Qrow began questioning his niece.

"Ruby? What are you doing there?" Ruby took note of how clear his voice was, it sounded as if he was in the room and not talking through a phone. The crimsonette sat on the desk, her side towards the screen.

"I'm here to talk to the Headmaster, of course. I hate to say it, but this conversation is private."

Ruby rudely ended the call before anyone could speak and turned to Ozpin. The two meet eyes, Ozpin giving a cocky smile and Ruby gave a polite one.

"Hello, Headmaster, my name is Ruby, as you know. Do you know why I'm here?"

"I can only guess you wish to enroll into Beacon Academy." Ozpin joked. Ruby gave a hearty laugh at this, she knew she was going to like this man.

"No, no, I'm here to talk business," Ruby explained. Ozpin leaned back in his chair, turning towards the window to peer over Vale. His office was located at the top of the Cross Continental Transmit Tower in the center of Beacon Academy located at the top of a large cliff overlooking the city, only accessible by the Airship. Ruby arrived in his office unannounced. Which meant she had somehow gotten past security, which was extremely tight and had a scroll, a specialized phone for students of the four Kingdom's academies. He was very curious about how she did it.

"Before that," Ozpin began, turning back to Ruby to see she still sat on his desk. "I have to know, how'd you get in here?"

Ruby gave the man an innocent stare, she seemed to not realize what he meant.

"Oh, you mean how I got here unannounced? Easy, my friend, Reese, goes to school here so I used her scroll. I got pass security because I'm real quick on my feet." Ruby beamed at the man. His had been bested by a young girl who simply ran fast past them, it seemed. Ozpin laughed to himself and asked Ruby to explain what she needed from him.

"Well…" Ruby began, "Before that, I have to tell you what I've been hiding from my family and friends. I plan to tell them soon, so I ask that you keep it to yourself for now."

After Ozpin agreed to her conditions, Ruby continued. "I work for the Crime Head Roman Torchwick, I am his direct subordinate. I answer only to him, and I have as much control over his criminal empire as he does."

For the first time in a long time, Ozpin was surprised. He hadn't expected the Rose to be such a high-level criminal.

"Tell me, why shouldn't I have you arrested right now?"

Ruby laughed again, "Because of what I'm offering you." This intrigued Ozpin, what was the Rose planning?

"I wish to join your little… 'organization.' And yes, I know." Ruby paused to sip from the cup of coffee Ozpin kept near him at all times. "You see, Roman is working with another Crime Head, Cinder Fall." Ruby paused to stand and walk towards the window. "I was fine with this, to be honest, Cinder herself isn't what I take issue with, she's actually quite a treat," Ruby recalled the night she met the woman.

"Cinder want us to work with the White Fang."

Ozpin stared at the girl in disbelief. Cinder Fall, Roman Torchwick, AND the White Fang working together? What the hell were they planning? Ozpin looked towards Ruby to find her smirking at him.

"So, you're intrigued," Ruby said.

"I'll admit, that has me concerned. What's going to happen to Vale?" Ozpin wondered aloud.

"This is what I'm offering," Ruby walked to the front of Ozpin's desk. "I want to become an Agent, in return, I'll slip you information on their activities."

"Why?" Ozpin said. Ruby tilted her head in confusion at the question. Ozpin leaned forward to rest on his elbows once more. "Why do you want to become a double agent? It's very risky, and I see no gain for you."

Ruby stepped back, her face showing that she was deep in thought. She recalled Cinder's words.

"When Cinder told me to work with the White Fang, she learned of my hatred towards the Vale leader, Adam Taurus," Ruby explained. "She was originally going to request that I work directly with the man, saying that he and I were similar and could work well together, but when she learned about my desire to kill him, she asked that I'd be patient. Her request went from working with him to waiting for whatever it is she's planning to be over and she'd hand me Adam on a silver platter."

Ruby looked Ozpin in the eyes, her full of a fiery anger, Ozpin didn't like that.

"Unfortunately, I'm not a patient person." Ruby finished. The two stopped to process their conversation thus far. Ruby took in Ozpin, the man was mysterious, she guessed that he wasn't too happy with recent developments in the criminal underground but it was impossible to tell. His poker face was impeccable, no signs of stress were visible on his face or in his body language. The man sighed lightly and closed his eyes in contemplation.

Ozpin also observed Ruby. The crimsonette made no attempt to hide her bubbling emotions. It was clear as day that she felt a mix of things, anxiety from being face to face with a man who led a secret organization. Excitement for daring to sneak into a heavily guarded Academy that doubled as said organization's headquarters. Anger from that fact that she was so close to revenge but was being held back from someone she was working under. Finally, curiosity at what the organization did, and what exactly an 'Agent' was. The girl spoke of it as if she knew, but she was lacking information.

Ozpin went to speak but a raised hand from the girl stopped him.

"I'm sorry, Ozpin, but the curiosity is killing, what is 'Beacon?'" Ruby asked, honestly not expecting the man to answer her.

"I'll tell you, Ms. Rose," Ozpin began after a moment, his eyes held a playful shine.. "Take it as a reward for sneaking in."

Ruby's face was a mixture of surprise as horror as she felt a strike on the back of her head. Quickly, the girl's world faded to black.

* * *

Back down at the bottom of the CCT Tower, a security guard patrolling around the back of the tower received a notification on his scroll. He pulled out the device, a small case, and touched the yellow diamond in the center to open it, revealing a translucent, touch-sensitive panel. A message was sent to all of the guards on the campus.

 _The Rose snuck in, look for signs of forced entry. Bring Reese Chloris to the interrogation Room C._

 _\- Glynda_

After reading the message over, the guard put his scroll away and ran towards the front of the tower. Littered throughout the path from the tower to the helipad was a line of flower petals. Upon closer inspection, the guard noticed they were rose petals. He looked up and down the path. The grey brick laid undisturbed. The center courtyard held wandering students, all of which were curious of the rose petals, but other words uncaring. The surrounding trees rustled from the gentle afternoon breeze.

The guard could see no signs of damage, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. The only odd thing was the rose petals. He pulled his scroll back out to send in his report.

 _No signs of damage or forced entry. Only oddity is a myriad of rose petals._

The guard paused to consider if he should add anything. He checked his surroundings once more and even entered the CCT to be sure of no signs of damage. Still, he found nothing. His mind went to a possible answer to how the Rose managed to slip past security, and he decided to through his two cents into the report.

 _Possible use of speed Semblance._

* * *

Weiss Schnee and Yang Xiao Long had two very different definitions of the word 'date.' Weiss saw dates as romantic dinners with light conversation, both parties slowly getting to know each other better as feelings slowly developed. Yang, on the other hand, saw dates as anything, as long as the two involved were spending time together and having fun. While Weiss pictured opera houses, Yang thought of nightclubs. Where Weiss would drink champagne and wine, Yang would drink anything from beer to Long Island Iced Teas.

All in all, the two just didn't click, they came from two different worlds, what the hell were they supposed to do together? The thought plagued Yang's mind as she handed Weiss her outfit of the day. A white, double-breasted jacket with black lining and a matching skirt with a black lace trimming. As Weiss was finishing putting on her also white heels, Yang approached Klein. Weiss couldn't hear what they were saying, but Klein seemed to become excited and dragged Yang away. Weiss went to follow them, but as she exited her room she was greeted only by the lonely hallway.

The heiress was used to the sight, but that didn't mean it stopped affecting her. She recalled a time where the hallways weren't so lonely, when her older sister, Winter, was around. The two spent nearly every waking moment together. Weiss recalled her sister and herself drinking outside during the rare warm day, or Winter diligently teaching Weiss to play the piano and shoot. She even smiled at the memory of Winter scolding her for even the smallest of things like her posture when shooting, sleeping in too late, or using the wrong fork during dinner.

Winter was a wonderful older sister, loving and always supporting Weiss, but also strict and making sure Weiss was properly disciplined. It was because of that that Weiss was devastated once Winter left. The heiress didn't remember what started it, but one day Winter and their father had an argument. It wasn't the first time, Winter was extremely defiant, though Weiss didn't know the reason, and it lead to the Father-Daughter relationship of Jacques and Winter being strained. This argument would be the last, nevertheless, and Winter left home to join Atlas Academy. Weiss knew of her recently employment in the Atlas military through Winter's frequent letters.

"Going somewhere, Dear Sister?"

An arrogant voice broke Weiss out of her reverie to the heiress' vexation. She turned to come face to face to the other Schnee child, Whitley Schnee. Weiss sighed as he felt a headache coming on, first Yang screamed her head off and now she had to deal with her baby brother. It seemed as if the boy's sole purpose was to echo the words of their father, and antagonize Weiss whenever she acted out.

"If you must know, yes, I am." Weiss grudgingly replied. She didn't hate the boy, he was still her little brother after all, but she'd rather not deal with him. The longer the two talked, the more Whitley would pick and prod Weiss. Weiss was sure that he was trying to obtain details on Weiss' life in order to report back to Jacques Schnee. As an heiress, anything Weiss did reflected back on the company. Weiss was monitored 24/7 whether it be by the servants, or Whitley, or even her father himself. Weiss had virtually no privacy, everyone was against in her own home. All except Klein, the head butler, and her personal caretaker. Speaking of Klein.

"Did you see where Klein ran off to?" Weis asked her voracious brother.

"Hmmm, no, I haven't," Whitley said, he walked past Weiss pantomiming curiosity. "Tell me, Sister, how did yesterday's showcase go? Those pesky investors didn't give you any trouble did they?"

"No, none whatsoever," Weiss replied dryly, Whitley suppressed his shock, though Weiss had already known that he had bought some of those investors to try their best to sabotage her showcase however possible. It was easy to avoid, she simply didn't acknowledge them, Whitley had to learn to pick better lackeys. Those investors weren't really trying, they had simply taken Whitley's money. Weiss had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing at her adorable little brother.

That mirth was vanquished as a voice called out to Weiss from down the hall.

"Hey, Ice Queen!" Yang jogged towards Weiss, ignoring Whitley completely. She wore a cream vest over a low cut black shirt, both covered by a black shrug with a raised collar. Under the vest was a black mini skirt attached to thigh high stockings via garter belts, both the stockings and the skirt offering no protection from the cold. "You ready to go?" Yang spoke over Whitley's attempts at scolding her for daring to not acknowledge him and didn't wait for Weiss to confirm or deny before dragging her away. The two made their way through the manor, Yang's black ankle boots making dull thuds against the flooring.

"How can you wear that? It's freezing." Weiss said, pulling her arm free and following Yang to the garage of the manor.

"Hey, you're in a skirt too." Yang countered.

"Yes, but I've lived in this weather all my life, you should be frozen by now," Weiss stated. Yang simply shrugged, saying something about not feeling the cold. They made their way to the only vehicle at odds with the white Lexus Sedans or the black limos, a sports bike. It's design emphasized speed and aerodynamics, and its color scheme seemed to match Yang's back when Weiss first met her.

"Where is our driver?" Weiss asked after a moment of standing in front of the bike, known as Bumblebee. Yang looked around in an exaggerated manner before pretending to just realize something.

"Oh! I'm the driver." Yang gave Weiss a toothy smile. Weiss looked from Yang to Bumblebee then back to Yang. When Weiss' eyes returned to Yang, she was offering the heiress a helmet.

"No," Weiss stated dryly, Yang simply shook the helmet towards Weiss and sat down on the bike.

"No," Weiss repeated. Yang's smile grew.

With a heavy sigh, Weiss took the helmet and took her spot behind Yang on the bike.

* * *

Weiss didn't know what she expected from Yang, no idea what they were going out to do. But she was pleasantly surprised to find that it was nothing uncivilized or illegal. After driving into Mantle, the two first stopped at a clothing store. Weiss told Yang she had no need for new clothes, and Yang surprised the heiress again by stating that the clothes weren't for her.

Yang let Weiss drag her around, having her try on numerous clothes, shoes, and accessories. At first, Weiss wanted no part in purchasing Yang anything. That changed quickly once Yang started trying clothes on. The bounty hunter looked good, her figure filled out damn near anything quite nicely, making Weiss want to dress her up like a doll. The heiress unintentionally got more into having Yang try on different styles, and began having a bit of fun. Weiss remembered being dressed up like this by her sister and doing the same to Winter. The memory is what allowed her to loosen up slightly and enjoy the activity.

After purchasing Yang a multitude of dresses, jackets, boots, and other accessories, the two went out to a Dust shop. Dust shops were a recent endeavor, around fifty years ago the SDC developed household items that used Dust. Lamps with fire Dust were brighter than regular electricity, and Lighting Dut powering homes was more cost-effective. Wind and Water Dust both made great coolants for vehicles and air conditions. Earth Dust was useful for foundations, and reinforcing concrete. However, all this required mixing Dust with everyday things like salt or water. That process could be very dangerous, usually handled by professionals, and then sold at retailers. Though Weiss took it upon herself to learn different mixtures, and even trying to discover new ones. It was something her father didn't really like, but if Weiss was going to head the SDC one day, she felt it best she understood what the Company was doing.

Though, something struck the heiress as odd. Why did Yang bring her here? There were no household items she currently needed, and even if she did, it would've been provided to her. Weiss was low on Dust to practice mixing with, however, since it was hard to come by with her father against it.

"You're low on Dust, that's why," Yang said, surprising Weiss. The pale girl went to question how Yang knew both how she was low, and that she used Dust but Yang beat her to the punch. "Klein told me."

Yang walked further into the Dust shop to browse, leaving Weiss to do whatever shopping she needed. While Weiss searched for the Dust she needed, some Gravity Dust in powdered form, Yang approached and asked the heiress about the different Dust. Yang had told her before that the bounty hunter didn't care about Dust since she couldn't use it and any items that required it simply needed the Dust to be poured into it. That's why it was another surprise when Yang seemed genuinely interested. Weiss was willing to tell the girl, teaching was also a great way to review.

When the woman left the Dust shop, they realized that a lot more time had passed then they thought. With both of their stomachs empty, and it being the appropriate time for lunch, the two made their way on Bumblebee to any place with food. Weiss was ready to argue with the girl on what to eat, but for the fourth time that day, Yang had surprised her. The restaurant Yang took her too wasn't anything fancy, nor too high class, it was an everyday, run-of-the-mill coffee shop. The eatery offered coffee as it's main option, of course, but it also served delicious food from paninis to savory ribs and steaks to sweet tiramisu.

The shop, called _Aroma Mocha_ , was actually one of Winter's favorite places to eat even with its unoriginal name. Its location was deep into the middle district of Mantle, so not many in the area knew the Schnees on a personal level, meaning they wouldn't be bothered there. The food was also top notch, better than most of the higher class eateries. Another plus was the view, the store had an upstairs, and a balcony, both overlooking Lake Alster, a large lake in the center of Solitas. Weiss watched the calm waters fondly, reminiscing of the many times Winter and she visited the shop. Weiss noticed that she had thought of her older sister a lot through the day, she also noticed that Yang was acting quiet and well-mannered.

She turned her attention to her bodyguard. From the day they met to just yesterday, Yang had been loud, rude, rough, and nosy. She constantly tried to talk to Weiss, become friends, and Weiss couldn't stand it. The heiress just wanted the girl to leave her be, keep her voice down, and do her own thing. Weiss was prepared for that to never happen, but today Yang had done exactly that. Weiss hadn't had to tell the girl off at all since they left, and she noticed that when she was quiet Yang was actually pleasant to be around. Yang had come out of nowhere with this idea of going out, something Weiss hadn't done in ages. She must've had a reason.

"Yang," Weiss called out, calling the girl by her name for the first time since their original meeting. "What was the purpose of this outing?"

Yang paused with her fork still in her mouth and looked up from her plate of tiramisu over towards the large body of water. Weiss watched as her eyes glazed over, the girl was probably remembering something.

"You know, I just wanted to be friends." The bounty hunter began, Weiss wasn't shocked to hear that. "I've been riding through Remnant hunting bounties for- fuck, it's been five years now. I've met plenty of really nice people. Families let me stay with them, children wanted to hear about my hunts, grandmothers just wanted my company. It was nice, but it was also a reminder of how lonely I was."

Yang turned to look Weiss over, the heiress placed down her fork and was giving Yang her full attention. Yang had definitely made some progress with her.

"When I got here and went to your ridiculously huge house, I felt another wave of loneliness. The family painting in your main hallway gave me a feeling of isolation. I felt…" Yang hesitated, cheeks blushing slightly. "I felt like you were kind of a kindred spirit."

Weiss' head tilted at Yang. Kindred spirit? What was she talking about? Weiss wasn't lonely, she was far too busy for pathetic feelings like loneliness. Sure, she didn't really talk to anyone on a truly personal level, and was surrounded by people would had it out for her, but she wasn't _lonely._ Weiss had Klein after all, albeit he was busy as the head butler, and she couldn't tell the loveable everything. Weiss internally huffed, okay, maybe she was a little lonely. The two women meet eyes, Yang giving Weiss a sad smile. The heiress didn't even know the bounty hunter could feel sad, she was always so loud and confident. So... bright. The smile reminded Weiss once more about Winter. Why did she keep thinking of her older sister?

"Then, after asking my dad for advice, he said I should take you out, give you a break," Yang continued. "Then Klein told me about Winter. He told me some of the things you used to do. Like going shopping for clothes. Or eating at a quaint little coffee shop. I wanted to do something nice for you, show you I was genuine so, I figured I'd try and help you have some fun."

Weiss could admit that the outing was nice. As she sat there, eating cake with her bodyguard, she realized how tired she was. Her feet were sore, limbs heavy, head throbbed. This outing allowed her to forget about the SDC, even if only for an evening. Then there was Yang. Weiss didn't like the idea of being her friend. Yes, there was her personality, but it was more than that. Weiss had no way of being sure of Yang's intentions. Plenty of people would love to be the heiress' 'friend,' but not because of Weiss' personality. In the world of upper-class business, it was all about connections, and Weiss learned very quickly that your friends were often times your worst enemies.

However, Yang wasn't an upper-class citizen, she was an average person. Well, maybe a bounty hunter wasn't average, but the point still stood. Yang was lonely, maybe a different lonely from Weiss, but lonely all the same. Weiss wouldn't give that easily though, she didn't know Yang at all, she could still have evil intentions.

"I will admit this trip was nice," Weiss began, and Yang's face lit up like a child being praised. "But that's all it was…" Weiss requested the bill as Yang's face darkened back to normal. The two split the bill evenly and made their way back to Bumblebee. The ride back was a quiet one, though the silence was far from tense or uncomfortable. As the two rode back to the Schnee Manor, the sun had fallen behind the horizon. The environment grew dark and mysterious, and the road stretched into the wilderness. The Schnee Manor was isolated at the top of a hill overlooking the capital, surrounded by forest. The road was empty save for the women, allowing Yang to fly down the street at a ridiculous speed.

Weiss felt a chill down her spine. Not from the cold, having been used to it for years. The heiress chanced a look back, spotting a lone vehicle catching up to them. It was nothing out of the ordinary, it was a public road after all, but something was triggering Weiss' sense of danger.

"Yang, that car behind us is giving me a bad feeling." Yang glanced at her rearview mirror. The car seemed exceedingly normal, but if Weiss wasn't comfortable with it, she'd do her job and make sure the girl felt safe. Wordlessly Yang sped up, the chilled air biting against her. She noticed the car keeping pace, meaning it wasn't street legal. Now Yang understood Weiss' trepidation and pressed a button on her handlebar, opening the compartment on Bumblebee's side. Weiss understood and reached to grab for Yang's Beretta M9.

As she did this, two more vehicles jumped onto the road ahead of them. They seemed to be the same car as the one behind them, 1969 Ford Mustang Cobras. The cars were obviously heavily customized, being able to keep up with Yang's baby, Bumblebee. So much so that the inside was most likely so different that might as well have been different cars. Weiss threw up the visor on the helmet, it's tint hampering her view.

Weiss wasted no time firing towards the Cobra behind them, trying and failing to hit either of its front wheels.

"Shoot first, ask questions later, Weissy?" Yang joked over the roar of the four engines as Weiss reloaded one-handedly.

"Attempts to capture me, as well as to take my life, have occurred far too many times for me to take chances," Weiss shouted back. She recognized this maneuver, many had tried the same thing before. If she could just get rid of the car behind them.

In a normal world, with concrete rules, maybe Weiss and Yang could've made it out of this situation. Weiss was a great shot, thanks to Winter's strict instruction over the years. The heiress could've hit the shot if she had another chance. But unfortunately, this world held strange secrets and that chance never came. As the two flew down the road, a blood red mist appeared in front of them, shifting and shaking as if it was alive. To both Yang and Weiss' horror, they had no time to slow down, let alone stop, before Bumblebee past through the mist.

* * *

Passing through the mist was an odd experience. One moment they were on the road, with a chilly night sky above them. The next, they were in a forest, warm midday air hitting their skin, and dirt underneath their feet. Yang skidded to a stop, Bumblebee kicking up a large cloud of dust as it was forced to come to a halt.

Weiss and Yang were blind to their surroundings, but guns could be heard being loaded and cock. As the cloud of brown dust slowly dissipated, a large group of men and women could be seen fully enclosing the two in a circle. They wore tattered and torn clothes, though it seemed to be through lack of care rather than lack of proper clothing. Behind the group, shoddy wooden buildings could be seen. Their structure was poor as if hastily built, and the tools necessary to build them were kept out and close by, indicating a need to use them again soon.

Past the structures was a large gate made of tall logs with the ended sharpened to a large point. The logs were strapped together by thick rope, and a gate could be seen behind the women.

Immediately, Weiss and Yang's attention was split by two different things. Weiss was mortified by the sudden transition, the group all aiming at her, and the look of sheer excitement in their eyes. Yang's attention was straight ahead, locked onto a figure in a black and red dress. Numerous necklaces decorated her neck, a pair of red gauntlets were worn on her arms, and an object made from feathers adorned her right hip. On her left hip was a sheathed katana.

Her face was covered by a large, full-faced masked that resembled a Creature of Grimm. Red eyes could be seen past the slits of the mask, two on each side. Her hair was similar to Yang's, however, the figure's was more ravenous and black.

Weiss leaned closer to Yang, her hands clenching around her protector's shoulders. Yang placed a hopefully comforting hand onto Weiss', and the figure approached the girls. Yang was enraptured by the stranger, something was familiar about her, but also distant. As she drew closer, she reached p to remove her mask. Both Yang and Weiss stared, bewildered at her. The figure looked exactly like Yang, only slightly older and with red eyes.

"Mom…?"

 **End of Chapter 6**

* * *

 _ **That's the end of another chapter. Yang is steadily making progress with Weiss, but it seems it'll take more to break through her wall. Ruby is making moves of her own, she's not much of a follower anyway. And OMG RAVEN SHE'S A HORRIBLE PERSON BUT I LOVE HER!**_

 ** _Next time, Pyhrra wants Blake to meet everybody, and Ruby and Yang end up in similar spots_**

 ** _\- Ken_**


	7. Chapter 7

_**Welcome to a new chapter of**_ **Agents of Beacon. _This one took a while, mainly because I started working, but also because It was hard for me to write it. I'm not sure what was bugging me so much, but I got it done anyway._**

 ** _This one is mainly set up for the story dump that I plan chapter 8 to be, so I'll be sure to work on that during my days off. On to the reviews!_**

 **Reviews:**

 _ **Only have a guest review who hated the cliffhanger. Sorry, my man, but that's why you gotta follow! Also, I love cliffhangers, so expect more of them!**_

 _ **Enjoy the chapter!**_

 _ **\- Ken**_

* * *

 **Agents of Beacon**

 **Chapter 7**

For someone who worked at a quaint little bookstore, Jaune Arc lived in a well-sized house. It was a middle-class home, with an upper floor, a fenced in yard, and a two car garage. Jaune's friends often questioned how he afforded the home, and he would always avoid answering when asked. The truth was, Ruby had purchased the home for him. Around three years ago, when Ruby first started to change, she also came into a large sum of money. Jaune was looking for a home around then, and Ruby approached him saying she'd buy him a home on certain conditions.

There were three conditions. The first was that Ruby would also have a key to the house. Jaune was completely fine with that, Ruby was his best friend after all. The blonde man probably would've given her a key anyway. After Jaune moved in, Ruby would come over sporadically. Most of the time, she just wanted to get away from home or work, other times she would bring people Jaune didn't recognize. Jaune had given Ruby one of the rooms in the house for when she brought friends over, he had soundproofed the room so he wouldn't have to hear them through the night.

The second condition threw Jaune for a loop. Ruby had modified the flooring of her room to open a panel, in the said panel she hid numerous drugs. Jaune had no idea where Ruby acquired them, but she couldn't keep them in her house, so she forced the burden onto him. In retrospect, having the drugs a hidden panel in a room he didn't really use didn't really bother Jaune too much. Often times, the blonde boy would forget about them. They were even times where Ruby would take Jaune with her to sell them. Those times were really fun for the two best friends, they had more money then they knew what to do with so usually they'd splurge on delicious food or expensive clothes.

The final condition was an odd one to Jaune and to this day, it still hadn't come up. The condition was _when I join, you join._ That was it, Ruby never spoke of it again. Whenever Jaune asked her, the crimsonette would play dumb or avoid it, just like when he asked her about the drugs or her job. It was another secret that Ruby decided to keep from him. Jaune didn't mind Ruby's secrets as much as the others, he knew Ruby still cared and trusted them all. The redhead only kept secrets to protect others, it's how she's always been. So, Jaune would wait and trust his best friend, she wouldn't do him wrong.

In fact, that is what the Arc was doing right now. He sat in his living room, which was sparse. His couch was against the bar counter of his kitchen and in front of his large TV. To his right was a hallway leading to the rest of the house, and on his left was a door leading to his garage where his Volkswagen Jetta sat. Jaune wasn't listening as his TV blasted, he was more concerned with his phone. About four hours ago, Ruby was messaging him, warning that some strangers would show up and tell him to gather everyone and go to Beacon. She stopped shortly after and hadn't responded since, leaving the blue-eyed man nervous. His anxiety was shooting through the roof as he patiently waited for whoever was on their way to get him.

After two more hours of suffering, with the sun coming back up and the sky clearing of clouds, Jaune's doorbell finally rang. After panicking in his spot on the couch, he got up and sheepishly opened the door. On his porch stood two individuals, both women, and both seeming to have an affinity to the color brown. The first woman wore a long cocoa-colored shirt with a dark brown waist cincher. Along with that was pants with a similar color to the waist cincher. Her hair was dark brown with wavy locks on one side of her face transitioning to caramel. She wore dark brown high heels, a beret, sunglasses, and a bag. What caught Jaune's attention was the bag's strap and her brown belt. The bag's strap was made from bullet casings and those same casings made up her belt as well.

The other woman was much tamer in clothing choice. She had long brown hair and matching eyes, as well as a pair of long brown bunny ears. She wore a short, long-sleeved brown jacket and brown shorts with black leggings underneath. Underneath her jacket was a black undershirt, and along both her arms were golden spaulders and vambraces. Her ears shifted in timidly once Jaune opened the door.

"Brown," Jaune announced unconsciously, causing him to blush in embarrassment and the Faunus to chuckle at him. The woman in sunglasses looked her outfit over, then looked towards her companion. It seemed she had just noticed their similar color schemes, and she also laughed.

"Are you Jaune Arc?" The Faunus asked shyly. The fashionista lowered her sunglasses to look Jaune over, revealing her brown eyes. Jaune shook his embarrassment away, and clear his throat with a cough.

"Yes, are you here to take me to Beacon?" He asked. This surprised both of the women, and the fashionista spoke next.

"How'd you know?"

"Ruby texted me last night, she said some people would show up and take me there. I've kinda been up since." Jaune scratched the back of his head nervously.

"Wow, she must've seen right through us," The woman said to the shorter Faunus girl. "Anyway, I'm Coco Adel. This here is Velvet Scarlatina, We'd like for you to contact your friends Pyrrha Nikos, Lie Ren, and Nora Valkyrie. Ruby's waiting for you at Beacon."

Jaune nodded his head and went to text his friends. Once he pulled out his phone, he realized that the three of them were still outside and invited the women in. The trio sat down in his living room, Jaune allowing the women to sit on his couch as he sat at his dining room table, which was located in the kitchen. As he went to his group chat with his friends, he was surprised to see that Pyrrha had already asked to meet. Her text said something about introducing Jaune and Nora to Ruby's new friend, and he responded telling them to come to his house.

While he waited for his friends, he chatted with Coco and Velvet. The two were quite nice, Velvet had a hobby in photography, and Jaune noticed that she kept her camera in a box strapped to her belt. The Faunus spotted a sword hanging on Jaune's wall and asked the boy about it. The sword was a longsword, with a blue handle and a golden cross-guard. The sheath was white with golden lines along it.

"Oh, this," Jaune began as he approached, his smile grew as he recalled the sword's story.

"This sword and its sheath, together, are called Crocea Mors. It was originally forged by the request of my Great-Great-Grandfather. I actually come from a family of warriors, and this sword was passed down through the generations. However, with recent inventions, there's no need for warriors, and my Grandfather was the last person to use this sword."

Jaune took Crocea Mors off its spot on the wall and unsheathed it for Velvet to admire it further. Even Coco lowered her sunglasses to give the sword a once over. It was obvious from the swords sharpness and sheen that it was well preserved, Jaune must take really good care of the weapon.

"Wanna see something cool?" Jaune asked. Velvet couldn't say yes fast enough and Coco just gave a calm 'sure.' Jaune took the sheath in his hand and with a flick of his wrist, it extended to form a heater shield. The golden lines on the sheath now formed two crescents in the middle of the shield. Velvet and Coco stared dumbfounded at the shield in Jaune's hands.

"Cool, right? I never heard of any transforming weapons before, not even in fiction!" Jaune exclaimed, his love for the family weapon clear in his shining blue eyes. The women shared a glance, and Jaune watched as they had a silent conversation. Coco's smile changed into a cocky smirk as Velvet seemed to give.

"Wanna see something cool?" Coco repeated to Jaune, who shook his head like an excited child. Coco stood and presented her bag to Jaune, as the blonde man stared at the bag in confusion it started to shift and change. The black bag opened, letting out a large brown and gold Gatling gun. Jaune screamed in shock, falling onto the floor. Velvet immediately set out making sure Jaune was fine as Coco laughed.

"I'm fine, Velvet, just surprised me is all," Jaune reassured the Faunus. "You should show that to Ruby," the girls gave Jaune a questioning stare.

"Oh, Ruby's an engineer. Well, not officially, but she loves building everything and anything. You show her that," Jaune gestured to Coco's handbag as in reverted back to just a bag. "And she'll lose her mind."

Coco smiled as she considered this, but a knock on the door echoed before she could answer. Jaune rushed up from his spot on the floor and opened the door. This time, Jaune recognized the people at his door. Ren and Nora stood on Jaune's porch, Nora waving excitedly and Ren bowing politely. He let the couple in and introduced them to Coco and Velvet. Nora immediately tackled the bunny and wouldn't shut up about how cute her ears were. Coco went to stop the girl in a pink skirt and a black vest, but before she could Nora moved on to admiring her.

Jaune and Ren left the women alone and moved towards the kitchen. The two talked about Jaune's sword, then he had sheathed but still held. Ever so often they would turn their attention to the girls, who seemed to get along swimmingly. Coco and Nora both seemed to love tenderly teasing Velvet about things that made Jaune blush heavily. It wasn't too long before the doorbell rang again, and Pyrrha showed up along with a girl no one but Ren knew. The girl looked to be about the same age as all of them, and she wore a white, zip-up, v-neck crop shirt. On the left side of her shirt was a flower like design printed in off-white, which everyone assumed was her emblem. On her black belt was a black fabric over a longer, translucent, purple fabric that covered her backside. The outfit was finished by black pants with a vertical gray line stripe on each leg and black high-heel boots.

Pyrrha was dressed in a simple red dress. The collar reached the top of her neck, and the dress split at her right hip. Pyrrha preferred simple clothing, opting to wear sweats and shirts two sizes too big at home, but her job forced her to always look her best. Jaune let the two in, and Pyrrha was surprised to see two strangers along with her friends.

"Hello," Pyrrha called out in a cheerful voice. "My name is Pyrrha Nikos. It's nice to meet you. This here is Blake, she's Ruby's new housemate." Blake gave a shy smile.

Coco and Velvet introduced themselves to Pyrrha and Blake and allowed the group of friends some time to talk. Velvet and Blake seemed to hit it off well, and Coco and Pyrrha had plenty to talk about. Coco was a fashion designer in her off time, and Pyrrha had unknowing tried some of her products. Ren was curious about Velvet's photography, but when she showed everyone all there were was pictures of different weapons. Jaune asked if she wanted pictures of Corcea Mors, and as she did so, Blake revealed Gambol Shroud to her allowing her to take also take pictures of it.

"Well, I guess it's about time," Coco announced after the pictures were taken. She gained the attention of everyone in the room before she continued.

"Now, I want you all to know now, we aren't your enemies, we want no harm to befall you or Ruby." Blake eyed Coco harshly, Pyrrha grew suspicious, Ren held Nora back as she immediately tried to rush Coco, Jaune waited patiently for her to finish. Coco smiled at Nora, she didn't even say anything and she was gunning for her. Ruby had some loyal friends.

"Ruby Rose is in our custody. Last night she snuck in Beacon Academy and had a talk with the headmaster. Right now, she's unconscious and we're waiting for her to wake up before she is interrogated." Ren let Nora go, and Coco wasn't surprised when the girl charged her. Neither Coco or Velvet moved as Nora punched Coco.

"Woah…" Nora let out. Her fist had connected, but instead of Coco reacting her face simply glowed.

"Didn't I say we weren't enemies." Coco said. Ren sighed, and move to drag Nora back.

"Yeah, we know," Jaune started. "Nora's just real protective of Ruby, there's no stopping her sometimes. She's a real 'shoot first' type of person." Velvet began reassuring the thunderous girl that Ruby was fine. Meanwhile, Coco continued.

"I have a feeling Ruby knew this would happen though. She told Jaune here Vel and I were coming."

"I wouldn't be surprised," Blake spoke. Jaune asked the girl why, but Blake simply shook her head and grew silent. Pyrrha patted the hidden Faunus on the back and the two shared a knowing smile. Velvet finally got Nora to calm down, and Ren had her apologize to Coco.

"It's nothing, but ya gotta learn some restraint girl!" Coco joked. "Anyway, we're here to take you to see her."

"Wait, are we gonna skip over the glowing?" Nora asked. Ren and Pyrrha agreed with the girl, remembering the talk with Junior. Blake said nothing as she watched Coco and Velvet have another silent conversation. Jaune just wanted to see Ruby. After a moment, Coco smiled at Nora.

"We are, for now."

* * *

"Mom…?"

Yang's voice was full of apprehension, surprising Weiss. Everything that the heiress knew Yang to be seemed to melt away in this woman's presence. The bounty hunter began to shake slightly, and Weiss unconsciously leaned further into the girl. Weiss looked to the Beretta in her hand, then looked towards the group surrounding them and dropped the mag into her open hand. With a wave of the figure's hand, the group lifted their weapons and dispersed. Yang never once acknowledged their presence, however, fully focused on the woman in the mask. A woman that Weiss just realized Yang had called 'mom.'

"Yang," Weiss whispered to her bodyguard, Yang jumped as if she had forgotten Weiss was there. "That's your mother?"

"Yes," It was the woman who answered. She reached up and removed her full face mask. The face underneath was identical to Yang's, only with red eyes and age lines under the eyes. Weiss stood dumbfounded at her current situation. An admittedly pleasant day out ended with them being ambushed on the way home, only to enter a red cloud portal thing and met Yang's mom. The pounding in Weiss' head hit harder than ever before, and the heiress looked to Yang for guidance.

The bounty hunter wasn't fairing much better. She seemed to shut down before the woman. It was hard to say that she even realized then had drastically changed locations, or that they were previously surrounded by armed thugs. Yang simply stared in disbelief as well as slight anger. Actually, the anger on her face seemed to be growing. Weiss wasn't sure if being pissed was the right call in this situation, but she had no reference for this.

"You two, come inside," Yang's mother ordered. After seeing the girls' reactions, Weiss pulling Yang closer, and Yang narrowing her glare, the woman decided to play nice. "Please." She finished.

Weiss and Yang looked towards each other, calming each other down slightly. After following the woman further into the village a large tent entered their view. Well, truthfully, it was always in their view since it dwarfed the rest of the camp. It stood on a raised platform and was made from draping a cloth over a wooden frame. The main tent was likely made like this so it could be built and dismantled quickly.

"You're… Nomads?" Weiss asked, if she wanted to properly assess the situation, she'd need information.

"Bandits," Yang and the woman answered simultaneously. The two similarly faced women glared at each other before they both entered the tent.

Weiss was not looking forward to whatever the hell was about to happen.

* * *

The sunlight spilling in from the window is what awoke Ruby. A pain buzzed around the back of her head and her limbs were sore as she lifted herself up. The redhead was in a small twin size bed, a matching one lay on the opposite side of the room. The room itself was small, there was a TV in one corner, by one of two small closets. The room was a mess, with clothes laying all around the floor. From shirts and panties to bags of chips and junk food wrappers. The mess made Ruby's head pound harder and she tried to stand, however she just fell back onto the bed. She felt her body. The pain in the back of her head and in her limbs was glossed over, having felt them when she awoke. She noticed a dull ache in her forehead, she must've hit Ozpin's desk when she was knocked out. Speaking of which, why was she in a dorm room and not an interrogation room?

Before Ruby could ponder a answer a door at the end of her bed opened.

"Oh, you're awake." A woman with light green hair swept to her right walked in and greeted Ruby. Reese Chloris was an old friend of Ruby's. While her main cliche was Jaune and Co, Reese was just about Ruby's only other friend in high school. Her style hadn't changed much over the years, much like Ruby. Reese still wore her iconic dark purple hooded sweater, black shorts, and arm and knee pads.

"Wear something else, Reese," Ruby teased. The women shared a quick laugh, though Ruby's was cut short by her aching body. After this, Reese spent a few moments nursing Ruby. However, the crimsonette wouldn't call what Reese did 'nursing.' The skater girl just through some painkillers and a beer at her and told her to suck it up. Once the pills kicked in, Ruby joined her friend out in the common area of the dorm room. The way the room was set up was pretty nice for college.

Four people stayed in the room, including Reese. When you first walked in a large living room greeted you, to the right of the door was a kitchen, though it wasn't really it's own room just a stove, sink, and fridge at one of the walls in the living room. Two doors on opposite walls of each other lead to two separate rooms that were just a little bit smaller than the living room. These rooms were where the students slept. Reese told the redhead that her roommates Bolin and Nadir occupied the room to the left, while Arslan and herself occupied the room they had just left, the room on the right.

Ruby sat on their couch, the cushions far from soft, and Reese turned on the TV as she sat next to her. The two spent their early morning like this, not bothering to talk about last night. Reese knew she'd get in trouble for helping Ruby, and Ruby knew she'd be knocked out and captured. However, neither expected for it all to end with them sitting together watching shitty sitcoms. Ruby refused to count her chickens before they hatched, something was about to go down, she'd just have to wait.

Ruby was certainly not looking forward to it.

* * *

Yang followed her mother into the tent. Its layout was simple, a tiny table to sit and eat at, a bed to the left, and slit in the back curtain to enter the far back of the camp, and a map of Remnant to the right. Her mom, Raven Branwen, sat down at her table and a woman walked in from the back slit. Raven asked the woman to make tea for them all, and the woman left just as quickly as she entered. Weiss entered shortly after and Raven asked the two to sit with her.

"I never expected to see you with the Schnee," Raven said to Yang.

"I never expected you to kidnap the Schnee," Yang retorted coldly. Weiss was obviously not part of this particular conversation, so she simply siped the tea brought to her by the returning stranger. Oh, how'd she'd much rather have a coffee.

"Yang, meet Vernal. Vernal, meet Yang." Raven introduced the two. Yang looked Vernal over, she had icy blue eyes and short brown hair. She wore a white shirt with torn sleeves, over this was a brown vest. She had on maroon pants, with one side rolled up her thigh. Her look was finished by black knee guards that went down into her brown boots. Vernal also looked over Yang, as well as Weiss, and smirked at both of them before leaving once more.

"So," Raven moved on. "What are you doing with Weiss Schnee, Yang?"

"I'm her bodyguard."

"Hmm, well, you aren't doing a great job so far. In fact, you made it easier to kidnap her." Raven chuckled dryly at her daughter. Weiss was confused about how Yang made it easier to capture her, but she did not want to jump into this conversation. Yang also seemed curious about what Raven meant, but there were more pressing matters to discuss.

"Before that…" Yang said. "Before that, I was a bounty hunter. I hunted a lot of people that cops couldn't handle alone, or didn't bother with anymore. Serial killers, master thieves, kidnappers," Raven met Yang's harsh glare, Weiss shrank as much as she could.

"Bandits." The mother and daughter stared into each other eyes. The atmosphere filled with an evil intent, Raven's palm falling onto the hilt of her blade, Weiss and Yang utterly defenseless.

"I've been looking for you," Yang said timidly. Suddenly, the atmosphere cleared and was replaced with sorrow and regret. Yang averted her gaze, focusing on her hands in her lap. Weiss continued to sip her tea, and Raven sighed deeply. The next sentence was obvious to all of them, there was nothing else for a child meeting a lost parent to ask. Raven gulped down her tea, looked Yang over, and sighed once more. The woman wasn't ready for this. She never expected Yang to be protecting Weiss Schnee of all people. Her daughter was supposed to be at home in Vale.

"It doesn't matter at the moment, we have other things to discuss," Raven said. Yang stood suddenly, spilling her untouched tea. Weiss jumped at the sudden movement, and Raven seemed unimpressed.

"'Doesn't matter?' What the fuck do you mean it doesn't matter?" Yang's eyes burned with indignation, and Weiss swore she saw them start to turn red before returning to their normal color. Yang seethed and shook with rage, her fist balled tightly. Raven watched her daughter careful, ready for any attack from her. If Yang was anything like her mother one would be coming soon.

"Of course it fucking matters, you just left me. For years I looked. I found old pictures of you and no one would tell me anything about you. Summer was great, she treated me like her own, but she wasn't **my** mom." Yang screamed out, her voice tense and trembling. Tears started to form in her eyes but she held them back. With a deep breath, she calmed down and she glared down at Raven once again.

"A part of me was always lonely. A part of Dad was always lonely. I've set out five years ago to search for you, to find an answer. And you have the gall to sit there and tell me it doesn't matter?" Yang kicked the small table clear across the room, Weiss yelped at the movement.

"How god damn dare you?"

Yang made to move forward but Weiss grabbed her hand. The bounty hunter peered down at the heiress, a confused fury clear on her face. Weiss returned the look with her signature icy stare, her face stiff in a practiced commanding demeanor. What calmed Yang down wasn't the expression, it was the clear fright and panic in Weiss' eyes. The hand that was holding Yang back was shaking slightly in distress, and Weiss' other hand gripped her own knee tightly. Weiss was a young woman, completely defenseless in an location surrounded by people who would use and abuse her at the least. The heiress was too prideful to admit it, but right now, she was nothing but a scared little girl. And she only had Yang to protect her.

Yang sighed and shook her head in disappointment at herself. She was on the clock at the moment, what the hell was she doing losing herself like that. Yang patted Weiss on the shoulder, showing she had calmed down. Next, she walked over and grabbed the table, returning it to its original location. The bounty hunter sat back down next to Weiss, and, much to the Schnee's chagrin, held her hand.

"So you're done?" Raven asked dryly. Weiss and Yang looked at each other before the bounty hunter answered.

"Yes, for now."

* * *

What Ruby hated the absolute most was having nothing to do. The crimsonette loved to keep herself occupied with something. If she wasn't out doing a job for Roman, or for her own reasons, she was in her office at Roman's warehouse deep in paperwork. When she wasn't doing that, she was with Neopolitan. The two of them would partake in many activities together. From going out drinking to staying in Neo's apartment and enjoying each other's body. Neo wasn't always free though, and at those time she'd go see her friends and family. Jaune had his own place, and was a treat to talk about anime or games with. Jaune was also good at filling in whenever Neo was too busy, though Ruby had to take the lead with the blonde man. Pyrrha was amazing to just sit and chat with over food and drink. Ren was a pleasure to read with or talk about books, Blake was also great to read with. Those two would certainly get along.

Nora was in a different league of her own. Ruby considered Jaune and Neo to be her best friends, but Nora was above even that. Nora was like a sister to Ruby. Like her real sister, Yang, Nora was extremely overprotective of the crimsonette. While Ruby could tell her fellow redhead anything, she had to keep her occupation a secret for many reasons. That had put a wedge between the two, something Ruby stressed over almost nightly. She hadn't gone out with the thunderous girl in months, and it was her own fault. Ruby had lied to Nora more than any of the others, including Taiyang. Her father was concerned about her, but also respected any distance Ruby asked for, Nora, on the other hand, would constantly ask what Ruby was up to.

The number of times Ruby had to lie to her admittedly favorite person was so large that Ruby had given up counting. Nora never gave up though and didn't like Ruby any less. Ruby would have to repay the girl after today. Since they were all on there way to Beacon, it would be an almost perfect time to come clean. Pyrrha and Ren most likely hadn't told Jaune and Nora yet, wanting to give Ruby the chance to do so herself.

Ruby rested on Reese's couch as she contemplated how that discussion would go. Reese was still with her playing a game on her scroll. The two had shifted positions having been waiting so long. Reese rested her back into the arm of the couch, resting her legs up on the rest of it. Ruby was laying on top of the skater girl, head on her stomach and body between her toned legs. The TV quickly became uninteresting as the two waited for something. A phone call, a knock on the door, hell even for Reese's roommates to return, but for hours nothing happened.

Ruby checked the time on her phone for the umpteenth time, announcing it to her friend.

"It's currently 3:34 p.m., we've been sitting here since I woke up which was around 9:52 a.m.. If s _omething_ doesn't happen by 4 o'clock, then I'm going to start a riot on campus." Ruby promised, voice full of boredom.

Reese barked out a laugh, "How about we go grab some grub instead? How's that sound to you Rubbles?"

"Hmmm, as long as you feed it to me while I continue laying like this."

"Nah, Bolin would get jealous." At that, both girls laughed. Minutes passed in comfortable, yet boring silence. Finally, Ruby's phone buzzed. She checked the message but was disappointed to find an assignment from Roman.

 _Red, some punk is trying to skip out on paying his protection money. Go down there and do the classic thug act for me. Bring a bat, I know you like shit like that._

Ruby considered leaving immediately. Roman was right that Ruby liked playing different criminal stereotypes, just to spice up the job here and there. Beating some poor store owner with a wooden bat for 'protection' sounded like a good stress relief, but if she'd left the redhead would miss her chance to talk to Ozpin. A flash of a woman in a white cloak appeared in her mind. She couldn't go out right now, she had something really important to discuss.

After choosing to not bother replying to the Crime Head, Ruby heard the sounds of footsteps coming down the hall.

"Footsteps," She reported to Reese. "Three of them. One in heels."

"How the hell do you-" Reese was cut short by the door behind the couch bursting open. In the doorway was a woman in a long-sleeved, pleated top with a keyhole neckline. Her pencil skirt was high-waisted and she wore black leggings that went down into black boots with bronze heels. Her light blonde hair was tied back in a bun with a curl hanging down over her face. Her green eyes pierced Ruby behind thin glasses. In her hand was a riding crop which she pointed towards Reese.

"Ms. Chloris. Please go with these men to the training hall, you are to run drills until I get there." The woman stated. Reese simply groaned and patted Ruby to get her to move.

"Yes, Ms. Goodwitch," Reese grumbled out before following the two men that Ruby assumed were guards, judging by the armor and weapons, off to whatever the training hall was.

"You, Ms. Rose," The woman, known as 'Ms. Goodwitch' pointed the riding crop to Ruby next as she continued. "You are to come with me, Headmaster Ozpin is ready to continuing speaking to you."

Ruby obediently followed the woman through the college campus. The grounds were large, it took them about fifteen minutes to get to their destination. Along the way, they passed a good number of students and structures. There was everything you'd expect from a college like a library or a cafeteria. But there was also a large theater hall, a recreational building, and a fully equipped gym. As Ruby followed whom she presumed to be a teacher, she noticed they were heading back to the tower she had snuck into the night prior. She assumed this talk would take place in Ozpin's office again.

Eventually, they reached the CCT tower and climbed the elevator to the top.

* * *

After everyone had shown up at Jaune's house, Coco and Velvet had them make their way to Beacon Academy. None of them knew exactly why they were headed to the college, or why Ruby was there, but Blake had a suspicion it had to do with her new potential job. When they arrived, Glynda Goodwitch approached them. The woman had Coco and Velvet return to their dorm and lead the rest of the group to the CCT Tower. Now, the five of them sat in a office. Its clockwork motif was stunning to them all, from the intricacy of the gears to the simple beauty of it. The office normally scarce of anything besides the desk, but chairs and a table had been provided for the group. They were told they were waiting for Ruby, who was in someone's dorm room, and would be here soon.

As they patiently waited, Blake chatted politely with Ren over some literature provided to them when they asked. Nora was occupied with doing Ren's long hair, and Pyrrha and Jaune sat together talking amongst themselves. The model thoroughly enjoyed her time with the young man. With Jaune, Pyrrha could loosen up and be herself. Of course, she could do that with her other friends, but Jaune was the first. It was because of Jaune that Pyrrha was integrated into the group after all.

Pyrrha had been in the public eye for as long as she could remember. From Beauty Pageants as a child to modeling since her teenage years, people always knew the name, Pyrrha Nikos. Her father, a agent in the modeling business, and her mother, a makeup artist, did a wonderful job getting their daughter famous. It wasn't for because of money or anything corrupt like that. It was Pyrrha herself that wanted it. When she found out what her parents did, she wanted to take part in order to spend time with them, but as she continued, she found that she enjoyed dressing up.

The young girl won many pageants and climbed to the top of the modeling industry with relative ease, but in actuality she just enjoy fashion. The model would never regret her decision to enter this world, but it made her social life rather difficult. Many were jealous of her success or would use it for their own gain. Close friends would sabotage her or attempt to blackmail her. Potential lovers only wanted a pretty and famous trophy by their side, and others were too intimidated by her status to even approach her. Once Pyrrha entered high school, she had given up on forming any type of relationships, and it was Jaune that changed that.

The way they met wasn't special. They were paired up for a class project, as simple as that. But it was that project that changed Pyrrha's world. When they started, she didn't know what to expect from the blonde timid boy. Would he be scared of her? Pry into her life for secrets or gossip? Would he try to gain her favor just to say he knew Pyrrha Nikos?

To her surprise, it was none of that. Jaune had simply joined her in the library, and started working on the project. Pyrrha was floored and continued to be so as they continued their work. The young man had no clue who she was, allowing her to be herself. Even when he found out how famous she was, he was unconcerned and unfazed. After that, Jaune introduced Pyrrha to the rest of her friends, and she was never happier. As she continued to spend time with Jaune, she found herself thinking of him more and more. Looking forward to seeing him every morning. And finding herself smiling in his presence alone. It didn't take long for her to come to terms with her feelings for the young man, however, there were two things holding her back form confessing.

First of all, Jaune was denser than a sack of bricks. Whenever Pyrrha would drop hints of her interest Jaune would never take notice. The model assumed it was the lake of self confidence. Jaune had said many times before that someone as 'amazing' as Pyrrha would never fall for him. The bookstore clerk couldn't be solely blamed though. Pyrrha had never been the one to confess, nor had she ever felt so strongly for someone. The model couldn't help but feel shy and nervous whenever the topic came up.

The other reason? Well, that was-

The elevator dinged, announcing the arrival of someone to everyone in the office. The doors opened to reveal Glynda and Ruby. The professor gestured for the redhead to step forward, and when she obeyed Glynda bid them all farewell. Ruby went to greet everyone but Nora's body knocked her onto the ground before she could.

"Oof. Hello to you too, Love." Ruby patted Nora on the back, and turned towards everyone else. "Ren. Blake. Glad to see you two bonding."

"With our shared interests, it was an inevitability. It's good to see you, Ruby." Ren spoke, while Blake simply smiled at the girl. Ruby turned her attention towards Jaune and Pyrrha.

"Hey, Pyrrha, how're you feeling?"

"I'm well, Sweetie, you?"

"Eh, I could use something to relieve some stress. Speaking of, Jaune?" Ruby meet the gaze of the shy boy. No one missed the way she eyed him, and the way Jaune blushed and averted his eyes. This was the second reason. As far as anyone knew, Jaune and Ruby were simply best friends. However, there were many times where Ruby would make a suggestive comment, or give the boy a look that exuded a sense of ownership. Her smile grew to be predatory, and she managed to get Nora off of her in order to approach the boy.

"Hello, Jaune." Ruby's face returned to normal, and her continued as if nothing happened.

"Hi, Ruby." Jaune said after clearing his throat. Ruby ruffled his hair and looked around the office. She scanned over her friends, Nora was clinging to her arm, having not see her since the meet up at Junior's. Ren had returned to discussing books with Blake, and the Faunus kept sending Ruby curious glances. The criminal assumed she was wondering what Ruby had discussed with Ozpin, but there was no need to inform her. Pyrrha was fixing Jaune's hair, while the boy exclaimed how unnecessary it was for her to do so. Ruby double checked the room, still not seeing any sign of the man she needed to speak to.

"Where's Ozpin?" Ruby asked the room, getting a collective no from all but Blake. The Faunus turned to Ruby, a look of sympathy in her eyes.

"He said he'd be late," She explained. "He said you had something to talk to us about first."

 **End of Chapter 7**

* * *

 _ **That's chapter 7 everyone, though I'm not sure how I feel about it. Nora attacking Coco feels kinda weak, as well as the scene with Yang yelling at Raven. Though, I'll keep it as is, and just focus on the next chapter and making sure the story keeps up with my standards. I'd love to hear your thoughts in reviews, and don't forget to follow and fav as well.**_

 _ **Next time, Ruby tells**_ **all _and team RWBY comes together._**

 ** _\- Ken_**


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